3 Tips to Preserve Your Windshield’s Visibility This Winter
As a Utah resident, you’ve probably resigned yourself to replacing your windshield every other year, if not every year. The winters in the Beehive are snowy, windy, sunny, and cold. These environmental factors, coupled with snow removal efforts and skier and tourist traffic, increase the risk of your windshield getting damaged. The most common quick windshield killer is a high-speed rock catching air from the back tires of the car in front of you.
However, there are many other slower, subtler, maintenance-related issues that cause your windshield, windshield wipers, and weatherstripping to degrade over the course of the winter. Without regular maintenance, these issues can negatively impact your windshield’s visibility and put you at risk during winter weather.
To help you preserve your windshield, we’ve created a vetted list of tips that will prevent these kind of issues from destroying your windshield this winter. Read on to learn what you can do.
1. Clean Your Windshield Wipers and Replace Them as Needed
Car owners often overlook windshield wiper maintenance and replacement. It’s best to replace your windshield wipers every four to six months, or every 7,500 miles. In between replacements, it’s also important to keep the rubber part of the windshield clean and use a scraper to remove ice from it after a storm.
When you clean your windshield wipers, check the rubber element for cuts and wear and tear. Watch for inconsistent contact between the windshield wipers and your windshield, indicated by streaking and chattering. Once you see evidence of these issues, replace your windshield wipers immediately. Any delay can result in decreased windshield visibility, and a major safety risk.
After snowfall or frost, inspect the pin joints on the windshield wipers. Often ice will get stuck within this little joints and cause the wipers to leave streaks. To remove it, use your palm to squeeze the windshield wiper blade and rubber section together. This movement should loosen up the iced-over joints.
2. Buff Your Windshield
Your windshield will lose visibility without regular cleaning. Unfortunately, many car owners only clean their windows with fluid and squeegee they find at the gas station.
To preserve your windshield and maximize its visibility, clean it with a microfiber cloth. This lint-free fabric doesn’t leave streaks. With the right cleaners, it also effectively removes just about anything from your windshield.
We recommend polishing your windshield with a non-abrasive, glass-restoring cleaner, which will remove water spots and splattered insects. Then, rinse the microfiber and use a rain repellent to wipe the recently cleaned windshield. It will stop rain and snow from sticking to the glass, essentially working as a coat of wax for your windshield.
Use a smoke-removing cleaner to wipe the inside of the windshield. It will remove any film caused by smoking or pollution, which traditional glass cleaners cannot do. Even if you don’t smoke in your car, it’s beneficial to use this kind of cleaner because it reduces the glare from oncoming headlights.
3. Inspect and Fix the Weatherstripping on the Windshield
Over time, weatherstripping on your windshield and car windows begins to dry out and potentially crack. This not only increases the risk for serious damage because the wear and tear reduces the sealant’s hold on your windshield. It also increases the amount of moisture that can penetrate your car’s interior. Without repair, continuous moisture can rust the area around your windshield, which will require expensive body work to fix.
To inspect your weatherstripping, squeeze the rubber sealant between your index finger and thumb. It should be buoyant, returning to its original position within a few seconds. If it’s dry and less responsive to its original, apply a skinny thread of weatherstripping adhesive underneath the sealant.
Stay vigilant of how the sealant is performing. A great indicator, well before beads of moisture reach the inside of your car, is to listen for the sound of wind. Often when weatherstripping loses its buoyancy, it forms a tiny but audible air leak.
Review these tips before and during the winter in order to increase the longevity of your vehicle’s windshield and improve its visibility. It’s important to note that, regardless of how much you work to maintain your windshield, an accident or piece of airborne debris, such as a rock, can destroy it.
If your windshield has suffered damaged as a result of an accident, we also recommend you read one of our previous blogs, Cracked Windshield? 4 Things to Know Before You File an Auto Glass Claim, which will give you advice about how to proceed.
Contact Central Glass Company today for a free windshield repair estimate. For your convenience, we operate four locations in the greater Salt Lake City area, including downtown, West Valley City, Sandy, and Bountiful. We repair and replace windshields for cars, trucks, commercial vehicles, and RVs.