How to change windshield wipers

Replace wiper blades every six to twelve months or as soon as they streak on clean glass, and keep the washer reservoir full of fluid rated for your winter.

Raindrops on a car windshield with blurred traffic lights on rainy day. — Photo: Juber Ahmed Sahel / Pexels

Area: HandsFrom age 16Time to learn: 20 minutes

Lift the arm, release the old blade from the hook, push the new one on until it clicks, and refill the washer reservoir with the right fluid for the season.

SafetyWasher fluid contains methanol and is poisonous if swallowed, even in small amounts. Keep it in its original container, out of reach of children and pets, and wipe up spills. If someone swallows it, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 in the US, or 1-844-POISON-X (1-844-764-7669) in Canada (1-800-463-5060 in Quebec), even if they seem fine. Call 911 if they are unconscious, not breathing or having a seizure.

Why it matters

Most weather-related crashes happen in the rain: the Federal Highway Administration reports that over 77 percent of US weather-related crashes happen in rain or mist. Wiper rubber hardens and cracks with sun and age, so a blade can look fine and still smear. Replacing blades and topping up fluid takes minutes and needs no tools.

Nearly 745,000 US crashes a year, about 12 percent of all crashes, are weather-related, and over 77 percent of those happen during rain or mist (five-year averages, 2019 to 2023).

Source: Federal Highway Administration, Road Weather Management Program, 2024.Measured

How to do it

Get the right sizes. The driver and passenger blades may be different lengths. Look them up in the owner's manual or a blade maker's size finder, or measure each old blade end to end.
Lay a folded towel on the windshield under the arm. Lift the wiper arm away from the glass until it stays up. On cars with hidden wipers, first move them to the service position described in the owner's manual.
Turn the old blade so it sits at a right angle to the arm. Find the small tab where the blade meets the hooked end of the arm, called the J-hook.
Press the tab and slide the blade down toward the base of the arm to free it from the hook, then lift it out past the hook.
Line up the new blade's adapter with the hook. Push the J-hook all the way into the adapter and give it a firm push until you hear a click. If the adapter has a locking cover, close it until it clicks too.
Tug the blade to make sure it is locked, then lower the arm gently onto the glass. Do not let a bare arm snap back against the windshield.
Repeat on the other side and on any rear wiper. Run the wipers with washer fluid and check that they clear the glass without streaks, skips or chatter.
Refill the washer fluid. With the engine off, open the hood and find the reservoir cap marked with a windshield and spray symbol. Pour in washer fluid up to the fill line and close the cap.
Choose the right fluid. Use washer fluid, not plain water. Where winters freeze, use a de-icer or winter-rated fluid that protects to the lowest temperature you expect, as printed on the jug in °C or °F, because summer fluid can freeze in the lines and reservoir. Let the reservoir run nearly empty before switching types.

Common mistakes

Letting the wiper arm snap back onto the glass with no blade on it, which can chip or crack the windshield.
Filling the reservoir with plain water, which cleans poorly and freezes in winter.
Waiting for a blade to tear. Streaking on clean glass, skipping, chattering and smearing are the signs to replace it.
Running wipers over ice or packed snow. Clear the glass first, and lift the blades off the windshield before a winter storm so they do not freeze down.

You can do this when …you can swap both front blades without the bare arm touching the glass, hear each one click into place, and top up the washer fluid with the right type for the season.