Surely, everybody knows that a wiper blade has to be made from either a rubber or a silicon based compound, simply because the two properties it absolutely needs to carry are a) it has to be flexible and b) it has to be sort of rigid too.
In fact a wiper blade has to be fairly tough along the face of the long edge.
Yeah yeah, I know that doesn't make too much sense here but the fact is, wiper blades have to flex lengthwise to the shape of your windscreen and then flex vertically one way and then tip back the other so they work with a dragging action against the screen, rain and dirt.
Then, they also have to be sort of rigid on the long scraping edge, else no cleaning will be going on anyway.
Obviously there are wiper blades for all sorts of applications, such as cars, military vehicles, aircraft, ships and boats, trucks, trains, space shuttles and all sorts of commercial vehicles, so the uses and abuses these products run into really do serve up some heavy work-loads.
What you might not know about the oscillating wiper blades though is that they all have a square-cut blade edge that is actually fairly tough based upon its intended use, and it is all so designed that when the wiping is being done the blade is actually dragged across the screen at an acute angle (leaning forward) at around 45 degrees and on the return stroke it is then flipped over so it is likewise dragged along, again leaning forward at around 45 degrees.
It's done this way so the 'sharp' square edges can act like a scissor edge and scrape the dirt and water from the screen, and while fairly new all blades work just fine, obviously.
The trouble they get though is two-fold, because not only are wiper blades out in the open and get weathered by the sun, snow, wind, mud, hail and ice, they also get sandblasted by dirt as you drive, and being scraped back and forth across the screen when in use sure does hack away at those sharp edges as if they were being rubbed against sandpaper.
So, seeing as these units are subject to such harsh conditions anyway and get it even harder while in use, it can be no great mystery that they can be prone to wearing down fairly quickly, depending on the compounding conditions they have to operate under.
Taking this into consideration and being aware that the manufacturers of such parts are moving toward 'modular' sales where buyers will soon be unable to purchase just the worn rubber parts and will have to purchase the entire blade unit plus the pressure clips plus the wiper arms, it is obvious this unit is going to become a fairly expensive and recurring investment over time.
Probably the saddest observation at this point is that those that can spend will profit the manufacturers handsomely, where those that don't perhaps have $40-$50 spare dollars possibly more than twice per year might just have to drive with less than perfect vision pending a solution.
Of course another interesting issue is the entirely unnecessary addition to world pollution in the name of greed, which in all truth should be a political issue as it is sure a growing sell-trend.
However, there are some fairly simple and effective steps we can take to ensure our windshield wiper blades are maintained in as good a condition as we can possibly keep them.
The first step is to check the wipers over physically for cuts, chips and soil build-up at least once per week and then give them and the windscreen itself a warm soapy wash.
Once they are clean you need to take a close look at the condition of the working edge of each blade, as it is important for you to know how worn or damaged this square edge has become, as this exact point on your wipers is the crucial area that determines how clean your screen can be.
Side issues such as seasonal protection against frost or ice can be managed fairly easily with the spray application of a simple 25% water to 75% white vinegar solution to all windows every couple of weeks as needed.
This is very effective against ice build-up.
The second step then is to decide if the wiper blades are a touch rounded, chipped, brittle or otherwise deteriorated and make a decision regarding replacement or rescue potential.
Appreciating that the majority of those faced with worn wiper blades these days would likely weigh up better vision against blade replacement prices, possibly adding some margin for the absolute pain of doing the physical change over.
Many would likely opt to wait a little longer.
However, thankfully a great new tool has been developed which without you getting dirty, spending money or even cutting yourself (being in the rules for blade changing), and in generally less than 30 seconds, can make your blades nearly new again and again and again.
Depending on conditions, use and treatment your wiper blades could last you for years longer than usual and provide you with not only a greatly improved financial benefit but also a matching value would lighten your ecological footprint with certainly far less material to be disposed of.
I can only suggest you check this great idea out and keep a Wizard handy in your vehicle.