No one likes to drive in ice, snow and slush, but when winter comes around, you pretty much have to do it. The roads are slippery and the weather is chaotic, and while that’s dangerous enough, lack of visibility is an even bigger hazard. How can you avoid obstacles if you can’t see them? That’s why winterizing your wiper blades is so important.
“Winterizing your wiper blades before weather turns cold takes five minutes and can be the difference between a safe commute or an accident in the middle of a snowstorm,” says Duane “Doc” Watson, an auto industry veteran. Here are his tips to help keep your windshield clear and your car on the road during the winter freeze.
Why It’s Important to Winterize Your Windshield Wipers
Freezing temperatures are hard on wiper blades, making them brittle and wearing them out more quickly. When the blades wear out, they leave streaks on the windshield, and that’s something you don’t want to happen when you’re driving on a busy freeway during rainy or snowy road conditions. If you’ve ever driven behind a semi spraying a stream of dirty water onto your windshield, and your wiper blades left streaks, you know how dangerous that can be.
“Wiper blades are one of our first lines of defense for maintaining clear visibility and keeping everyone on the road safe,” says Watson. Winterizing wiper blades, he says, is easy:
- Inspect your blades for cracks, tears or leaning.
- Turn on the windshield washer and the wipers and look for streaking. If you see any, it’s time for new blades.
- Replace the blades every six to 12 months, even if they don’t appear damaged. That way, you can be sure they won’t fail in the middle of winter.
How to Stop Wiper Blades from Freezing to the Windshield
Have you ever turned on your wipers on a freezing morning and watched the motor struggle to free them from the icy windshield? That’s bad for the motor, and it also damages the blades. Here are a few ways to prevent that:
Lift the blades off the windshield
When you exit your car in the evening, lift the blades off the windshield and retract them all the way, so they’ll stay in that position until morning. Lower them carefully when you’re ready to drive. Don’t just allow them to snap back into place, or they could crack the windshield.
Cover the blades
Purchase a set of wiper blade covers (about $7), keep them in the front seat and cover the blades when you leave the car. “If you don’t want to invest in covers, you can even use old tube socks,” suggests Watson.
Apply water repellents to your windshield
Water repellents come in spray bottles or aerosol cans (price range: $10 to $40), and one application at night will prevent ice from forming on the glass.
Install winter blades
“One of the best ways to prevent your wiper blades from freezing to your windshield,” says Watson, “is by choosing blades made for winter. These blades are specifically made for colder temperatures and are designed to prevent freezing and ice buildup.”
Best Windshield Wipers for Winter
Being a technical trainer for Bosch, Watson recommends three Bosch products, including Winter Wiper Blades, ICON Wiper Blades and ENVISION Wiper Blades. Car and Driver magazine’s number-one pick is Rain-X Latitude Water Repellent Blades, but their premium pick is Bosch ICON blades.
All these blades, as well as others on the market, incorporate one or more of the following features:
Siliconized rubber
Some all-weather blades, like the Trapo Hydrophobic Wiper Blades, are made entirely of siliconized rubber, while others, such as the Bosch Winter Blades, have a siliconized edge. Silicone stays flexible in freezing temperatures and won’t scratch the windshield.
Bracketless design
According to Watson, the Bosch ICON blades’ bracketless design and tension springs help keep them flexible, providing superior wiping performance in tough climates.
Special coating
“ENVISION Wiper Blades,” says Watson, “offer extreme weather safety and also sharpen night driving with a special spoiler that combines a light absorbing charcoal powder and water repelling polymer compound.”
Usage indicator
Some high-end blades, such as ENVISION, have an indicator that changes color when they are nearing the end of their service life. If you take advantage of this feature and change your blades when directed, you won’t deal with streaking and skipping in the middle of a blizzard.
How to Handle Frozen Wiper Blades
When you don’t put any effort into winterizing wiper blades (and sometimes even when you do), you might find them stuck to the windshield on a cold winter morning. Here’s what to do:
Start your car, turn on the defroster and wait
When enough ice melts to free your blades, lift them gently (don’t pull), then scrape the windshield. By the way, Watson points out that dirty cabin filters reduce the efficiency of the defroster, so making sure you have clean filters is an important part of winterizing the wiper blades.
Spray a solution of rubbing alcohol and water on the blades
Let the alcohol melt the ice, then gently lift the blades. This method is faster than running the car defroster, and it doesn’t waste gas or battery charge.
- Warning: Don’t pour hot water on the blades to melt the ice. Your windshield could crack.
FAQ
Will running my wipers on a dry, frozen windshield before the ice melts damage them?
This is definitely not a good idea, according to Watson. “As rubber is stiff when cold, running your blades over a dry, icy windshield will make them more likely to split, rip or tear, and can also ruin the blades contour for future use,” he says. “Doing this will also strain your motor and can cause it to burn out, as the motor will continuously try to push the blades along while they’re stuck. Finally, you’re putting your windshield at risk of scratching from the ice.”
Why is my rear window wiper always less effective than the front wipers in winter?
Watson cites three reasons for this:
- The rear wiper blade is typically much shorter than the windshield blades;
- It has weaker springs that push it against the glass with less force;
- The motor is less powerful than the one for the windshield blades.
About the Expert
- Duane “Doc” Watson is a technical trainer at Bosch Mobility Aftermarket and an auto industry veteran with 45+ years of experience. As a technician, he earned many industry awards including Chevrolet Technician of the Year and Buick Service Master of the Year.
Source
- Car and Driver: Tested: Best Wiper Blades for 2025; (2025)
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