Windscreen wipers: a guide for DIYers

Windscreen wipers. Like air filters, they're a humble part of a motor vehicle, yet the sheer importance of them cannot be stressed enough. When the rain, sleet, or even snow pours down, you need them. We take the things for granted, but if it wasn't for an inventor called Mary Anderson, we wouldn't have had them at all.

She visited a snowy New York City in 1902 and observed a tram driver struggling to see out of the front window. Thereafter, she filed a patent and before everyone knew it, windscreen wipers became available on a load of cars in the 1910s. Yet it wasn't until 1922 when Cadillac began offering them as standard equipment.

Since then, we've taken the humble wiper for granted as part of our everyday lives. But when they begin to wear out, that's the only time we're not completely subconscious to them. An ill-performing wiper will usually make a rubbery sound when you try to operate it. It'll also drag, and it's never a nice thing to be sensing while on the move. And since running cars with windscreens without wipers is illegal, you better replace them when the time comes. One other way you can prolong the life of windscreen wipers is by using glass cleaner.

The best windscreen wipers at a glance:

Best for a Ford Puma: Bosch Aerotwin 700mm/300mm - buy from Amazon.
Best for MK7 and 8 Golfs: Bosch Aerotwin 650/450mm - buy from Amazon.
Best for a modern Ford Focus: Continental AQUACRTL - buy from Amazon.

In the same way that car batteries and fuel types are vehicle specific, so too are wipers. Windscreens range in size and shape, which means windscreen wipers are quite vehicle specific. There is no universal wiper blade, you have to filter in your vehicle before exploring the best options. We'll guide you on how to do that as well as

How to find the correct windscreen wipers for your vehicle

The best windscreen wipers

Changing and maintaining your wiper blades:

Once you have the correct replacements, pull the wiper arms up, away from the windscreen. The wiper bracket will have a little tab where it meets the wiper arm. Press it and slide the old wiper blade from the arm. Then you replace the new wiper blade by doing the reverse. The new blade will click when it locks into place. Afterwards, gently lower the wiper arm back down onto the windscreen.

If you need to clean your windscreen wipers, a small rag and some soapy water will do the trick. Overtime, they can build up dirt and grime, and you really don't want any of that smearing your windscreen. And when it comes to ice, it's always best to let your windscreen defrost first - or use an ice scraper. One of the worst things you can do to a wiper is operating them on an icy windscreen - potentially damaging them.

What are the quirkiest wipers ever fitted to a car?

It's easy to go for the famous mono-wiper as seen on the Mercedes W124 and R129. But we have to go Lancia Flaminia Berlina. That came with the might of four rear wipers; two on the outside, and then two on the inside to deal with mist. Naturally, a search was performed on Amazon Garage, but unfortunately it's not listed. But you can find bits that'll fit a Gamma, if you're running one of those.

Aaron Hussain is a commercial content writer at Bauer Media writing for Parkers and CAR. He is obsessed with classic cars and anything with a fascinating story to tell.

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