Good windshield wipers?

Have you ever cleaned the wipers? Get some 303 protectorant

wet a rag, and run along the wipers several times. You clean the wipers, and you rejuvenate them. You may be amazed how much filth comes off, and then notice how squeaky clean is the windshield with the old wipers, but without any squeaks.

I've bought several different brands. I found the RainX don't live up their claims, the frame is flimsy (it'll unsnap from the wiper arm when you are brushing off snow), and they don't clean that well, even if you get the ones with the tension bar arm (instead of the multi-point contact scheme). In the past, I wasn't impressed with Trico, but that was with the multi-point contact assembly. I very much like the Trico Titan (22" driver, 20" passenger, 15" rear on my Subaru Legacy wagon). They're not cheap at $30 apiece, so $90 to replace all 3 together. The above cleaning method made them last several years. I just cleaned them preparing for winter, they're a year old, so I'll be using them another year. Barring physical damage, they'll probably last more years.

303 protectorant is excellent, used by many detailers. One hint: after wiping with a wetted rag or cloth-covered applicator sponge, wipe with a dry cloth to remove the excess, especially on shiny plastic, like the interior handles. If the surface is dripping wet, you can get marks left behind. Except for the wipers and tires, I always buff after using the protectorant. Unless you apply a thin coat (just barely damp rag), this protectorant does not air dry. It contains water, but you should buff after applying. Not scrub dry, just run a dry rag over the coating.

Another reason why I like the 303 is it not depositing a film on the inside of the windows. I hate cleaning the windows, especially to get rid of any film, applying protectorant, and having the protectorant redeposit a film on the windows. With some protectorants, you have to wait a week for them to stop effusing their solvents before you can clean the window of old and the newly deposited film.

I even use the 303 on my acrylic headlights. I buff them to get them clear again, and apply 303 as a UV protectorant. I only apply protectorant once a year, and on a warm-to-cool day, not on a hot day in the sun. That also means I clean the wipers only once per year. I like

303, but it is pricey. Stoner Trim & Shine is about half the price, and performs equally, but the pricier 303 is often sitting on the shelf since customers buy out the Stoner Trim Shine. Because both are water based, do NOT leave them in your garage with your car cleaning supplies. Bring them inside to prevent them freezing.

A couple reasons why I don't use Stoner. If the application is new, and the car sits in the sun on a hot summer day, Stoner can emit formaldehyde. Stoner is also more aggressive at cleaning. Users have reported that it will remove paint. They'll use on the pull-up bar for exterior door handles, or on the painted plastic inside, notice some black is coming off onto the rag, and notice the paint is from the application surface. I've not had that with 303. When using a cleaner on wipers, the black you see is from oxidized vinyl or rubber coming off the wipers which is why they don't clean as well, along with the dirt you don't see on the black blades. Don't scrub the wipers with a protectorant. I only pass over them about 3 times, and don't press down hard on the blades.

If you don't want to buy protectorant at $8 to $17 per 16 oz bottle, to clean wipers you can use isopropyl alcohol. Use 70%, not the 90% stuff. It cleans the wipers, removes the oxidation, but it is corrosive to rubber, so don't keep cleaning them every week. Once a year is enough. I've used those alcohol cleaning pads inside a sealed pounch since I buy a box of them at a time to resupply my first aid kits. Or, I can use Stoner Invisible Glass since that has isopropyl. I use it to clean the inside of my windows, first using a vinegar cleaner, and then Invisible to get a streak-free clean. When used to clean glass, spray it on the rag while outside the car. You don't want to be spraying alcohol on the interior plastics. Same when wetting a rag with it to clean the wipers.

How are you gauging your wipers aren't cleaning well? Streaking is not caused by the wipers, unless you left them resting atop debris that deform the blade, like leaves or their stems sitting under the blade. It's what is on the blades, like road grime, sand, dirt, oil, grease on the blades that cause most of the streaking. Wet a rag with alcohol or protectorant, pinch the rag against the blade, and wipe up and down several times. They'll be black streaks on the rag. Do it again with a new wetted section of the rag. Repeat until no more black streaks on the rag.

Some streaking may be attributed to the cleanliness of the windshield. Washing and waxing helps until the wipers rub off the wax, but there can also be junk stuck to the glass, even small stuff you can't see without a magnifying glass. Wash the windshield (don't use ammonia). Rinse clean. Get some 000 steel wool (and store it so it doesn't rust). Glass has a higher MOH than steel, so the glass wool will not scratch the glass. Scrub the glass with the steel wool. Lastly use a good glass cleaner, like Stoner Invisible Glass (don't let its spray hit the painted parts of the car, so, again, apply to rag away from the car).

Then comes the WD-40. No, not on the window. On the hinge at the bottom of the wiper arm nearest the car. The pivots can get corroded or have debris between the mating surfaces of the hinge. Lubing the hinge helps ensure the wiper is pulled onto the window with max force. Exercise the hinge several times to work the lube into the hinge. I use torsion bar (beam aka aero) wipers. If using multi-point contact (conventional aka cheap) wipers, lube their hinges on the arm. You want the most force pressing the blades onto the glass. You don't want corrosion or debris adding friction to the hinges.

First clean the wiper blades with protectorant, or alcohol. Then clean the windshield. Then lube the wiper arm hinge, and hinges for any multi-contact bridges.

Some wipers have a spoiler on their arm. This adds more downward pressure of the blade against the glass. My car has one, but only the driver-side wiper, and it's attached to the arm which, so is part of the car.

Don't get snow wipers unless you get to park your car inside a garage where ice that accumulates inside the rubber cover can melt away. I live in an area where winter is very cold and very snowy. Everytime I've used a snow wiper, I tossed it after a couple snowfalls. My car sits outside, not in a garage.

I never use RainX on the outside of the windshield. I don't use it anywhere. All that does, even after lots of buffing (which thins the coating), is cause a starry effect to oncoming headlights. The coated is still smeared on the glass. If you just must have a coating on the outside, and don't want to take your car to the wash a lot, use glass wax (there's old stuff around that's been used on mirrors for many decades), or car spray wax, and buff very well. Clean first, then wax.

The isopropyl cleaning of the wiper blades will likely be the most dramatic improvement to clean your windshield. Dirty wipers don't squeegee well.

No off road.

You know a good brand?

I don't see a single brand mentioned in that article, just recommendations on types of wipers. I'm not any respondent is going to be totally unbiased in "what's best", and we don't know if the OP does any maintenance on his wipers. How you use them, preparation, maintenance, and car of wipers and windshield, weather, and other factors influence what you'll buy and how much you'll pay. You could construct wipers made of steel (glass has a high MOH than steel) for extremely long longevity, but they would be crap for cleaning.

There are wipers with silicone blades. Those last longer than rubber, but I've found high-quality rubber beats silicone for cleaner wipes. No matter the material, chips or dents in the blades and grime on the blades will degrade performance. Keep 'em clean. Don't let them rest on debris. Silicone blades are more expensive. Silicone lasts longer (the claim is twice as long as rubber, but not true, just longer). They swipe better at high speeds (neglecting the presence of a spoiler on the wiper arm) than rubber blades, and wipe nearly as well as rubber, but silicone typically leaves a haze behind on every swipe. That's usually what pushes me to the higher-quality rubber blades.

No mention of the OP's weather. For winter, silicone blades are more pliable than rubber, and stick less to freeze to the windshield. That doesn't mean they are uber-durable you can yank them off of an iced over windshield.

Most auto makers still use rubber blades, and most top brands still use rubber. Silicone lasts longest, but rubber swipes better. To me, a longer lasting wiper is less important than one that gives me best vision. If best wiping is not your criteria, go for silicone. While rubber doesn't last as long as silicone, both will have a shorter life if you don't regularly clean the blades. Be careful, though, as some brands market them selling silicone blades when what they are really selling are rubber blades coated with silicone strips at the edge. You want ALL silicone blades. Before first use, you should clean the silicone blades. Some come with a cleaning/lube kit you use before installing the wipers. If no prep pack is included, clean using water and dish soap (I wouldn't recommend Dawn for cleaning anything on your car). Alternatively, use the ispropyl alcohol I mention in my other reply. Rub several times to get rid of microscopic dirt.

Beam wipers are very good, especially since there are no bridges as with conventional wipers that can freeze up or accumulate mud or snow. Less working parts with beam wipers. However, I found the Bosch don't press as hard in the middle as at the ends, but that could've been just for the ones I got. I've always been on the fence regarding Trico: some are good, some are average. Don't waste your money on Anco. If you do, plan on replacing them early spring and late fall (twice a year). I've had RainX wipers. They're okay for the blade, but their frame is poor: way too easy to pop off when brushing snow off the windshield (they disconnect at their pivot connector, not from the wiper arm); however, RainX use silicone blades (but you'll have to decide if the smearing on swipes is okay for you).

Beam wipers perform better at highway speeds; i.e., less lift. With beam wipers, you don't have to consider getting snow wipers (for winter and snow/ice), but I wouldn't buy those anyway for the conventional bridge style wipers as ice builds up inside the cover which prevent the bridges from moving to flex the blade.

Remember your blades are sitting in the hot sun, extreme cold in the winter, encounter snow and ice, have to scrape bird poop and bug juice, are subject to road grime, and all types will deteriorate. You can use protectorant to extend their life, but it won't be forever. Cleaning them (mentioned in my other reply) will remove grime and debris, so the wipers will squeegee much better again. A lot of drivers think they need new wipers, but once cleaned they work very well again.

You might to watch for sales or rebates. Good wipers are expensive, and when replacing all 3 (driver, passenger, rear), it can pinch you wallet. I think I spent $90 (plus tax) last time for all 3. The store I usually get wipers has rebate sales: you buy, you register (use an alias or temp e-mail account), and they eventually (months later) send a debit card for the rebate amount.

I haven't mentioned (much) any brands, either, because it depends on how much you are willing to spend. To some drivers, $90 at once is too much although the wipers will last 2-3 years, or more, with proper cleaning and care. I prefer buying longer lasting quality than shorter-lived cheap stuff. With sales, those can pressure you into buying and what to buy if you were in the mood to buy at the time.

I've never used hybrid wipers: beam plus bridges. Can't comment on those. Like beams, hybrids are common in luxury cars. However, like conventional wipers, hybrids have bridges that can get corroded or grimed at the pivots.

Watch for sales or rebates on the high-end wipers, so you're more likely to get them instead of the cheap turds down around $10, or less. And get in the habit of cleaning them whether you get rubber or silicone.

My garaged, low mileage, purchased-new, 2016 Toyota Avalon still has its OEM blades and they just work fine. I previously owned a 2000 Avalon and its blades were equally as good and long-lasting.

Wonder who supplies Toyota's wipers ;-)

Parts are contracted on specs. They change at the whim of the company. Who makes them last year may not who makes them this year.

The only mention I found online about the construction of the wipers is they are fluorinated carbon impregnated.

Apparently the graphite is to scrape the wax off the windshield after a car wash to make the blade better contact the windshield instead of slide over the irregularly applied wax.