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I was recently out driving in some wet weather and my wiper blades started to smear and screech.
After investigating replacing the wiper blades with OEM blades, I figured that I would give the popular car hack with other DIY'ers a go which uses WD-40 spray to revitalise and revise wiper blades. Purchase your WD-40 here:
Amazon (US and General): amzn.to/3cLmIbg
Amazon (Australia): amzn.to/3vs7qi4
If you're not in the situation to replace your old ones and the rubber blades still seem in good condition, then after doing this I do think that this WD-40 hack is certainly worth the try.
This video will show you what you'll need, how to do the hack, and does it really work.
In this video I am demonstrating this using my 2011 Mercedes ML300 (W164).
I trust that you enjoy the video and if you would like to support the channel on an ongoing basis then please do consider joining the channel as a Member. I have deliberately kept the cost of the membership levels low, please check the membership levels out here:
/ @drewfixit - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Denatured 95% alcohol is good, too. Evaporates completely, no residue - good for copy machine/printer rollers, too. I learned it from an instruction sheet on some wipers that said to use it before 1st use. Gets that same black stuff like the wd-40. Standard cleaner for tape recorders back in the day....
I really liked this video for these reasons: Concise, useful, no music.
Thanks mate! Cheers Drew
And no blinking. Shows he's focused
Yes. No music. A miracle. 👏
BLINK dude BLINK you're freaking me out BLINK YOUR EYES
Hi Mate, well I’m glad you got a giggle anyway 🤣🤣🤣 Cheers Drew
Hadn’t noticed until I read your comment midway and now I’m rolling laughing 😂
I can't not see this now 😂😂
I wish I hadn’t read that. Can’t take my eyes off his eyes!
I saw him blink once. 😂
Been using this hack for a while now, hasn't let me down yet! I've had the same set of blades on my older vehicle for over 5 years now and they work as good if not better than the day I first installed them when they were brand new!
Thanks for sharing mate! It’s amazing how well it truly works!! Cheers Drew
Hi Drew, on some wiper arms, wd-40 can be sprayed to loosen the hinge or elbow, that's supposed to flex downwards, with the spring underneath. Wd-40 will loosen a corroded hinge, allowing the correct pressure of the arm and blade on the windshield.
Hi Erik, thanks for the info. I will look out for this in the future! Cheers Drew
I started using this trick a while ago and so far my blades do a clean wipe and are also quiet. I am sold!
Hi Arthur, thanks for the positive feedback!! Cheers Drew
A better test would be doing one wiper blade with WD40 and wiping the other blade just with a bare cloth, or water. Compare the two.
I clean my wiper blades in the same manner but use household non streak window cleaner spray . I still get a black deposit on the paper at first but it soon becomes clean . No smearing, no squeaking, no bouncing. Simple!
I saw this tip on Silver Cymbal's page. I clean the inserts of the blades for a Honda and for a Toyota about twice a year with WC-40. In addition to being free of streaking, the blades are quiet, too. Quiet, like you-can't-hear-them quiet. This has allowed me to use the same blades for more than two years. I have a 2010 Pontiac G8GT (Holden Commodore) with the one-piece blades and still use the original blades.
Hi Jon, thanks for checking in with your positive comments! Cheers Drew
Wow. I was shocked to hear 2 years! We live in a very mixed climate. Rain,snow,ice,hot but never really settled. Same wipers on our car for 12 years. Some wipers are coated with graphite or during the manufactures so be careful with oil based products as if it absorbs it, that’s them damaged
@@DrewFixIt @
Works like a charm. I've been doing this for many years.
Awesome! Cheers Drew
I've been doing this to my Bosch blades for two years now about every 4 to 6 months and I've not had to buy any new ones yet. It also helps to polish your windshield with a plastic polish or even car wax.
EEEK never use car wax on glass
@@chrisc9817 I don't tend to use car wax anymore since buying Nufinish plastic polish.
never use car wax on your windscreen! i use a proper glass polish compound and machine polish twice a year on my screen and use a traffic film remover on the glass when washing the car and hey presto no road film on the glass and crystal clear screen when its raining.
@@jamesblakestravels1088 if you had read my previous reply then you'd see that I don't use car wax anymore. I use Nufinish.
Wow what a good idea to stop smears, clean the blades I would never of thought of that.
Good tips, Drew. Glad it's workin'. Another thing I do is clay-bar the windshield. It's amazing how much getting all the gunk off helps wipers work. I also use Rain-X so I don't have to use the wipers, but that's a different video.
Rain-X ?
Hi Warren, Great tip! Cheers Drew
Worked a treat on my Mercedes wiper blades ( Smart fortwo 2019 ). I agree with others that it removes dry rubber gunk and also softens and revitilises the rubber underneath ie renews the blade. Great hack
We don't use wiper blades here in UK we use a periscope, it rains all the bloody time😂
Lies. I just finished watching Midsomer Murders and it's always gorgeous and sunny there.
@@sergioleone4215 . . . all the murders take place over three weeks in 'summer' as Russians 'fall' from balconies the rest of the year
The wiper blades on a periscope cost €400.
Thanks for the video, sad people can find negative comments even within a helpful video as this was.
I use silicon oil, for some time it lefts traces on the windshield but it protects rubber. Very useful for rubber parts.
A buddy of mine owned a gas station and he had this rubber cleaner for repairing tires that he'd use on wiper blades. He called it, "recutting the blades". It worked pretty good. So if you can get ahold of whatever that stuff is then give it a go.
Simple and straightforward video 👌🤝
I'm sure brush makers don't really appreciate the WD40. Another good application I discovered for the WD40 is removing the old glue from stickers and tape, both on glass and sheet metal.
Hi Feliciano, thanks for the tips, I will be sure to try them! Cheers Drew
Another great tip! Thanks Feliciano!
Good for tar spots too.
I have been cleaning my wiper blades like that except just window cleaner for years to get rid of streaking. Actually just water or even a dry rag will help a lot.
In my experience WD40 and rubber don’t go well together, despite what it says on the can. Been successfully cleaning my wiper blades with vinegar for years with great success, 👍
Vinegar? Really🤔
I love that band! Red red wine is my fave
I also use Rainx glass cleaner. That works as well.
At the same time Its quite important to ensure that the wiper arms are properly angled when blades touch the window.. An unbalanced wiper arm can also cause squirking.. But thanks for the tip..👍🏼😊
I’ll have to admit that I was specital that this would work even after watching the video. Decided to try it as I didn’t have much to loose. Figured if it didn’t work I’d buy new blades which I needed anyway.. Much to my surprise it did work just like you said don’t think I saved as much as you did but did save some cash.
Hi Gramps, thanks for the feedback and glad it worked for you too!! Cheers Drew
yeh i was also spectacle of the skeptical
Glad this worked for you!
Yeah mate, worked a treat!! Cheers Drew
Just one comment, Drew (and thanks for the video, by the way). I think that black gunk you got when you wiped with the WD-40 was probably mostly rubber rather than dirt. That's not a bad thing in this context, but I think the WD-40 actually softens the rubber by partially dissolving it. It's important to wipe excess WD-40 off and not leave residues on the rubber for too long. The way you did it was fine, and it worked - which is what counts.
Agreed, first I wipe the blade with wd40 it works fine for few days, the noise came back, so I though maybe I should spray more and leave it to dry, now my blade is like sticking to the windscreen, just like you said , the rubber blade might have dissolved 😑
Hi Sualdam, thanks for your feedback and suggestions, truly appreciated! Cheers Drew
You can wipe down brand new blades and pull black off. I think silicone if better to use than WD40
@@WhittyPics It depends what you are trying to achieve. If you put silicone on your blades, the last thing you want is for it to get on the glass - it's hard to get off, and it causes smearing. If your blades are hard, then WD40 will soften them for a time, which can be beneficial (so long as you clean off excess WD40, since you don't want THAT on the glass either). Smearing windscreens is caused by several different things - stuff on the glass, stuff on the blades, hardened/damaged blades. The logical approach is to get everything off both the glass and blades - which is easier to say than to achieve - then worry about the state of the rubber. WD40, by softening the rubber, refreshes it somewhat.
WD40 does not "eat" into the rubber. Where did you get your info from?
I do the same but with the windscreen washer additive I add to the reservior. I'll give WD40 a go.
The WD40 may clean the road grime off your blades but it will also cause the rubber to degrade much more quickly. This is why the people who sell those $70 wiper blades just love it when people use WD40 to "fix" their wiper blades. It means more business for them, not less. Soap and water will also clean the grime off your wiper blades, but without damaging them in the process.
I’m curious to really know if WD40 can harm rubber (and maybe most plastics too!) since it’s a solvent. Yes, it’s oily and acts like a lubricant thus the apparent improvement in the wiping of the wiper, but maybe it is damaging the rubber. Also, wipers live all the time under the sun, which evaporates the WD40 but leaves a residue that may not be good for rubber either, I don’t know. Some people recommend cleaning the wiper blades with isopropyl alcohol, … do you know if IPA does actually conditions rubber?
Dudes an Olympic No Blink Staredown Champion . Unreal form.
Haha, thanks for the comment 🤣🤣🤣 Cheers Drew
@DrewFixIt looks like a ton of fun. I can't wait.
I've actually noticed that the old-style multi-part blades work better than the "new" single-beam blades, which makes me wonder if the new type were mainly a matter of marketing all along. Also it saves me a fair amount of money.
The 'new' type work better at high speeds due to the aerofoil. Though you can/could get the 'old' type with an aerofoil on the arm.
I have often had problems with judder or streaks on the newer type... much less (or never) with the older types.
@@DJ_Dopamine That's one of their claims but I haven't found it to be true. Maybe the old type just let air pass through while the new type lets air get underneath and lift them. Project Farm should do something on this but I'm not sure he owns anything that goes fast enough.
I thought I was the only one who thought this. I have a 2016 Ram 1500 and I have way better experience even with Rain-X Expert Fit Conventional than any beam blade. All the beam blades chatter at the ends as if they are fitted very loose but the conventional won't do it and they cover the entire 22 inches where I swear a 22 beam is more like a 21 or 20 inch blade. My favorite blade is the Rain-X Expert Fit, about 16 bucks for a set of two at Walmart vs 40 bucks a set for beam blades
The 'new' type blade is most of the time better if your wiper arm is In Good condition (spring load etc.) or/and if you drive in winter where 'old' type wiper "joints" could freeze. 'New' type blade can sometimes do this "jumping" But easy fix is to use turtlewax clearvue type rain repellent. All together i use most of the time old blade for older car and New blade for newer car.
Big up from Scotland 👍. You can use it on the black bumper aswell to give it a shine
Hi Mate, I can confirm it works a treat on plastic too as I recently used it on one of my mower restos:
th-cam.com/video/CKOdTTV90bw/w-d-xo.html Cheers Drew
I have been using this trick for ages, but there is a better way to do it. Use Lanox, made in Australia, works a lot better, and can use it on all rubber seals, especially around windscreen and back window. But absolutely fantastic for powered windows. Clean all the seals with windows down, with the nozzle tube, spray inside the seals then open and shut the windows a few times, then clean off any residue. Windows just glide up and down and seals remain water tight.
Hi Cudgee, thanks for the tip. I have a can of Lenox I can try as this was what was recommended for lubricating the latches on my 1960 Falcon!! Cheers Drew
I'd be very careful. Here's a quote from inox themselves about Lanox "avoid spraying rubber fittings and hoses as these will need a special rubber grease or spray instead."
Thank you for the video. I was on the fence if it would work or not. 👍👍
Looks like a nice tip. Only problem is ferrets are crazy about WD40. Apparently it contains some fish oil and the scent attracts the ferrets. They start chewing on everything that has the smell. We’ve even had them causing leaks in brake lines and electrical wiring.
Sounds like you’ve got a whole world of ferret pain to me!!! Cheers Drew
@@DrewFixIt You wouldn’t believe the places they appear in. We haven’t seen them in the city yet but they seem to spread like rats.
Leave ferrets alone
Crumbs! I've even had ferets climbing up out of my tiolet bowl.
@@paulrichards2365 🙄😂
I do this on my to clean them and lube, I also us Rainx. The trick is to remove the rough edges, Keep cleaning until it is very smooth
Been using WD 40 on my wipers for a few years now and no problems actually works very well. My current wipers have been on my car for 3+ years now and still work great! Keep your glass super clean along with using WD 40 is the key.
Thanks for the feedback mate, glad to see there is someone else that agrees this works a great! Cheers Drew
Works like a champ, takes less than 5 minutes!
Surprised, anyone with that car would be shocked by the price of the wiper blades, the tyres, servicing cost, general maintenance would have given a clue, plus the purchase price, it's not the general daily driver for most people.
Hi Taz, as long as your prepared to roll-up your sleaves and do the maintenance and repairs yourself they are actually not too expensive to run and are absolutely beautiful cars to drive! I have made quite a few video's to help out fellow DIY'ers if you are interested? th-cam.com/play/PLor5qdyoV_nRcb5hDS-z6z1wUHNednb2h.html Cheers Drew
Nice, I will try that right now on my blades. Thanks nice video.
No problem 👍
Use the silicone one... The regular one will maybe dried out the rubber with time due to the petroleum solvant in the formula
Silicone reacts with the glass in your windshield, making it cloudy. You will permanently mark your screen, where the blades are at rest.
(From someone with a degree in Glass Technology & Materials Science.) Mineral oil dries out rubber, making it crack and break up.
@@wessexdruid7598what about wd40, does it not react to rhe rubber?
@@Ryy22 See my comment below?
Thanx for the vid. it surely does work. One more thing it's not only the wiper blades but in most cases dirty wind screen as well, so if you are doing the wiper blades make sure to super clean the windscreen as well.
Thanks Mate, I certainly appreciate your feedback!! Cheers Drew
Yes, as others here have noted, the black is for sure oxidized rubber. My only issue with using an OIL BASED product such WD-40 SOLVENT, is that it will break down the rubber. I usually use 91 % rubbing alcohol and then as another mentioned, PURE silicone liquid because it WILL NOT attack the rubber.
When I buy any new vehicle, weather a new car, or recreational, all rubber and aluminium under the hood etc. gets a good dose of pure, food grade silcone spray. The rubber lasts for years and the aluminium will NOT corrode (white powder). Just a tip I learned years ago, and continue to use to this day.
Hi Gary, thanks for the tips. I will be sure to try them out! Thanks Drew
@@DrewFixIt You are very welcome! 😊
Good point it helps initially the key is to have something that continues to work better. Not works like new again then even faster goes bad. As with many of the headlight lens "fixes." Unlike here many of those fixes claim proclaim to have cured the problem simply because it looks shiny again. Rather misleading as this is done right after finishing and no testing was done for durability of the sealant used. Will it last similar to the original, longer or will it cloud over much faster.
@@cardinaloflannagancr8929 Hi Cactus, I did mine something like a year ago and they are still good! Cheers Drew
I doubt an occasional clean with WD40 would cause enough breakdown of the blade to worry about, but if in doubt, maybe Inox would be a better option. I use Inox on outboards, because WD40 can break down the insulation of the wiring and Inox doesn't. Then again, maybe the reactivity with the rubber is what helps clean it? I might try both ;)
That's rubber coming off the wiper blade 🤣
Thanks for the video, I'll have to try it out
The carrier ( which propels the product out of the can) is a petroleum based product much the same as Varsol. The lubricants that are propelled from the can are also petroleum based. This use of wd40 may work fine in daylight in the city but if you need to travel in all weather on and off road at all hours of the day you will really hate yourself for ever having used a petroleum product on your wipers. I love wd40 and use it for a million different reasons but having a petroleum sheen on my windshield is something I will continue to avoid. There is no way that any petroleum products will get anywhere near my wipers. Oil your wipers if you please but stay away from mine. Sounds like a great prank to play on someone you hate.
I use rubbing alcohol to remove the old rubber.
Methylated spirit applied with a paper towel and rubbed along the blade makes it good as new unless the rubber has already split.
A largely underestimated comment
Vinegar also works well
Terrific video tip, mate! I've been using a product called Rain-X on my windscreens here in NZ for over 40 years (ever since it first came out) and it's brilliant - at 100kmh in a downpour (like it does here in NZ, not like you dry Aussies) the water just STREAMS off the windscreen - hardly need to turn the wipers on! With this tip with the WD-40 - which I have at least two cans of around the garage and house - it's going to be even MORE brilliant!! As a note, Rain-X must have been developed for the aerospace industry, because it was originally developed in Scottsdale, Arizona, where it practically NEVER rains!!
Hi Allans, thanks for sharing and do let us know how you go! Cheers Drew
I used to use Rain X when it first came out and it was brilliant. The rain just slid off the screen but the only trouble was that it didn’t last too long then I had to retreat it.
I think it was the grit salt on the British roads that was the problem. Thank for video.
@@colincrooky Grit salt? Oooh yuck! We don't get any of that here in NZ. I generally re-apply Rain-X about every 3-4 months here, it only takes a few minutes, and for the price of it, it's well worth the trouble - a spray bottle of it has lasted me over 3 years, and it's still nearly half-full. And for NZ $17 a bottle, that's got to be good value!
@@colincrooky Here in the USA, there is a Rain-X windshield washer fluid gallon jug, that you fill your washer tank with. This makes it easy to renew the protection at any time.
If it's not available out your way, I imagine it would not be very difficult, to mix up some from the original Rain-X glass water repellent and plain tap water.
@@GalileonPrime Tap water is not necessarily a good choice - hard water areas have dissolved salts, and that leaves a residue. Better to use de-ionised or distilled (which costs money), or use boiled rain water or the effluent from a dehumidifier.
As an alternative you can get the same grime/dead rubber off with just white vinegar. To stop juddering, etc rotate the blades around (so the front side becomes the backside). With fancy brands you may need to do a bit of light modification for this but if it saves $60+ per blade its worth it!
I also agree wiper blades shouldnt cost anymore than $30 for a set - anything more is a total rip off!
The problem is not the rubber blade, the problem is the angle of the metal housing. Use two spanners or grips to twist the metal wiper holder so the rubber blade sits flush on the windscreen. Then when you turn them on the rubber will bend over according to the direction of the blade. WD40 is a short temporary fix.
Correct 👍🏻
Some cars like BMWs come with a simple tool to do that.
It sure does! I've gotten 4 to 5 years out of my blades since I started using it.
Looks like a great trick. I will definitely have to try it.. I’m curious as to why you just didn’t (connect) disconnect 🤫 your wiper blades and that way you wouldn’t have to stretch across the car at all. They just clip on and off real easy.
Do you mean disconnect?
@@Mr35000000 Yes you're right I meant to say disconnect. Corrected it Don't tell anybody lol 😆
WD-40, a water dispersant with 1001 uses...there was still streaking though, bottom left hand corner clearly visible.
I currently use oven cleaning foam for my windscreen as it easily removes the milky marks that result from the crap off the roads, which even the better screenwash solutions will not touch. I usually run a sponge impregnated with it along the blades which results in the same old rubber being removed, and it works a treat as long as loads of water is poured over the screen and blades when done, and they are run a few cycles.
I agree. That was "dried rubber" coming off your blades. Soft rubber works best on glass. So, removing dried - hard rubber and softening the remaining blade will make it pliable. I'm curious as to how long it lasts. A follow up would be nice.
Hi, I still have the same blades on the car to this day!! Cheers Drew
@@DrewFixIt Great. Thanks.
Use the Rain-x wipers and Rain-x cleaner. Works great. Water beads up and blows off the window. When you notice the wipers not performing like they were, and it's easy to tell this, just wipe some of the cleaner on the wiper blades, and they are like new.
Awesome 😂
@@curtzeek8818 I have used both works OK if you use the spray every month but otherwise same old crap. Wipers are nothing special and too damn expensive.
i have done this also and yes it does work , thanks for posting :)
Hi Thomas, thanks for the feedback and positive thoughts! Cheers Drew
WD40 worked great for me and also tweeking the angle of the wiper blade.
Good one, must try it tomorrow, especially on the rear window blade, it drives me mad everytime it judders across the rear window
You took the words right out of my fingertips!
Good luck! Cheers Drew
@DJABBT4171 Does it work on the rear blade, also?
Vinegar does a good job as well.
Hi Mate, thanks for the tip! Perhaps I will try that on the weekend!! Cheers Drew
Yes. Wiper blades for MB’s are in the $60-$70 a pair. Wait till you have an S class. I have a S class coupé that has the washer fluid coming out of the wiper blades so it does not obscure the driver’s vision, those are $200 a pair! They have these on the upper end E classes now in the new generation body. too.
I have used the W-30 trick and it works. My wiper blades are now 3 years old and they work like new!
I’ll bet you can get substitute blades that work for a third of that on Amazon.
Wake up.
@@jimmy5634 I’ll have to look them up, do a video of changing them and post an Amazon affiliate link, thanks for the tip Jimmy!! Cheers Drew
@Janet Carman Hi Janet, thanks for sharing and for the support, I genuinely appreciate it! Cheers Drew
"W-30" ????? We're talking about WD-40
@@ausfan100 agreed!! Cheers Drew
Greetings from Sheffield South Yorkshire England. Yes it works.😸😸🤗
Wonderful! Cheers Drew
Didn't work for me on 5 year old wiper blades. It lasted 2 or 3 days before the streak came back
Hi Peter, oh well at least you tried and you haven’t lost anything!! You could try giving your windshield a thorough clean too. Cheers Drew
After reading the comments posted here all I can say is WOW, really? WOW!
Hi Gary, I’m just here for the comments! Cheers Drew
Why go to a dealership for wiper blades? That’s just ASKING to get ripped off, haha (Sorry if I sound rude). I’d just go to an auto parts store or some sort of retail/convenience store.
But, this is certainly a good little trick. I’ll give it a shot on my car. I ran into the same problem
Hi The Bolder, I also went to the local auto shop and the price for Euro car blades in Australia is just stupidly high! I’ve now also done this trick on the wife’s Audi and it worked a treat on her car too! Cheers Drew
this tip is Gold !
Thanks Mate!! Cheers Drew
Never use WD40 on wipers. Use white vinegar.
To clean windshield wipers using vinegar you'll need to mix 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar with a cup of water. Then spray the mixture onto your windshield wiper blades, allow them to sit for a few minutes, and wipe clean
Why not?
Thanks for the tip! I will certainly give it a crack, in the meantime the WD40 has worked a treat for me ... nearly a year later and my blades are still very good now!! Cheers Drew
Rubbish! I've been using WD-40 on wipers for almost 10 years now and nothing beats it. Vinegar is acidic and even when mixed with water will cause problems over the same period of time.
@@ausfan100 Fair enough - I will give it a try!
The vinegar's acid can eat away at rubber just as it does natural stone.
I was wondering. Thanks for the confirmation!
Try putting a 1/2 teaspoon of liquid dish soap in a gallon jug of washer fluid. Most wiper fluids have no surfactant (soap) in them. Every time you use your wipers you now clean the oily film off the glass.
Hi Ken, I can honestly say that I did not notice any oily film after doing this and my blades are still in excellent condition now nearly a year after doing this! Cheers Drew
@@DrewFixIt Wow, it lasts a year! I have WD in the house. I’m going to have give this one a try. Thanks for the feedback.
Didn't work anywhere near as well as the WD-40.
I do that in summer time...
25% of dish soap from small bottle to 2 gallon of fluid washer tank....
Gets the bugs off quicker. ...👍.
Ken, virtually ALL wiper fluids have surfactants in them. They have to have, otherwise they wouldn't clean. I make my own, based on a recipe I made up from reading the data sheets for commercial products, and one of the main ingredients is alcohol ethoxylate, which is a non-ionic surfactant. The other main ingredient is butyl glycol, which is primarily a solvent, but which has pronounced surfactant properties. What I do is make up a 1L batch of my recipe and , then every time I need some screenwash I put 75g of it in a 5L bottle (of the type screenwash usually comes in) and make up to 5L with water. I use water collected from a dehumidifier so that it contains no dissolved minerals (hard water) which leave white streaks on the glass. There's no real problem using dish soap to clean your blades, but you don't want a lot of it mixing with water as it will foam up, and it isn't a very strong surfactant anyway (I'm speaking as a chemist here). Windscreen cleaners are purposely non-foaming (because of the types of surfactants in them). Making my own is WAAAY cheaper than buying it.
I have used wd40 like this for at least 7 years on my MB here in Canada through our 4 season climate. I haven't replaced blades in all that time. I do this In spring and Fall but also thoroughly clean the windshield at every wash. That is not all road grime you are removing but also deteriorated (aged) rubber material. Blade is then softer and more pliable thus conforming better to the glass curvature.
Surely you should be able to get them elsewhere without paying dealer prices. I get wipers for my car off amazon or ebay. I tend to buy bosch blades on the front.
Hi Chris, good point and that was my plan if it didn’t work, but nearly a year later my blades are still now in excellent condition, so why bother? Cheers Drew
@@DrewFixIt my wipers arent that expensive so i just change them before winter. Least the wd40 works.
Have tried many professional and home made rust treatments over the years and find that WD40 is the best rust treatment on market.
Hi Joe, funnily enough I tried this recently on this mower resto:
th-cam.com/video/CKOdTTV90bw/w-d-xo.html Cheers Drew
I'd probably use a silicon based solution instead of WD-40. While this may work for a while, I'd be concerned about WD40 eating away at the rubber over time and possibly leaving some residue on the windshield (petroleum based marks are hard to get out of glass and tend to lead to clouding over time). I've heard that silicon may be better and is intended for use on rubber materials such as windshield wipers. I guess the good thing is if you destroy the wipers, it's not like it was that expensive to replace them, but it could leave residue on your windshield which might be harder to get off. Also being that WD40 is petroleum based I think it can also get washed off quicker than silicon, which tends to be "sticky" enough to last longer especially in wet applications/conditions like rain or snow.
good points HR, but the bigger point everyone is missing here is.... clean your wiper blades from time to time!!
I don't care if it's with wd-40, olive oil, human waste, or just plain water!!!
what you clean them with is pretty much irrelevant.
You are out of touch with reality. For years WD-40 has sold a silicon based solution as well as many other variants.
This really works but once is not enough. I find say once a month works wonders, particularly in the winter.
Very happy to see you verify Scotty Kilmer’s test with WD-40! If an Australian is called an “Aussie”, what do you call a New Zealander? Maybe late for lunch??? But who in their right mind would buy a Mercedes? Someone who doesn’t know what to do with all their money? See what Scotty Kilmer has to say about Mercedes! Mercedes, Audi, BMW, ALL rich blokes money pits! Anyway, thanks for the nice video. Love your great ACCENT too!
G’day mate and thanks for the compliment! I keep the Mercedes at the moment because it makes good content for the channel with everything that keeps breaking, if you are interested here is a playlist of some of my work on the Merc th-cam.com/play/PLor5qdyoV_nRcb5hDS-z6z1wUHNednb2h.html Cheers Drew
Scotty is so full of shit I deleted his channel
@@timmytackle9181 I agree most of the time, the funny thing is this actually works and it was Scotty's channel that I saw it on and I thought no way ... well nearly a year later and my wiper blades are still good after doing this!! Cheers Drew
Thanks and yes I do it regularly and it works....
Great to hear Larry! Cheers Drew
WD40 will add to longevity of them..you are cleaning off mostly rubber oxidation
Good to know! Cheers Drew
I live in Thailand here we just buy new rubber for the blades, very cheap and easy to change..
Works great. I’ve been doing this for years. For a finishing touch, polish your windshield with #0000 steel wool a couple of times a year. You’ll be amazed at the difference.
Hi Ronnie, thanks for the positive reinforcement and the extra tip! Cheers Drew
no man, this cant be real , lol
really any gradient steel wool?
Might I suggest, Mr Cleans Magic Eraser, less of a mess and brilliant for polishing smooth glass and ceramic surfaces.
@@GalileonPrime hi mate, I will give it a shot! Cheers Drew
It’s the way the blade section sits on the window..ive seen a good fit on TH-cam where the angle of the wiper arm is adjusted so the blade sits correctly on the windscreen,and it works
You should actually use silicone spray, it cleans and rejuvenates the rubber.
Yes, however, be sure that spray is PURE and doesn't have ANY other additives in it, especially pretolium solvents which most all do! Pure stuff is hard to find.
Thanks Terry for the recommendation, I will give that a go next time! Cheers Drew
@@garysmith8455 I would think the silicone used to prep the door seals for winter would do nicely. That's designed specifically for automotive rubber.
@@HepauDK Probably work fine. Just watch the ingredient list on the can, should not have more then a couple things listed, to be safe. As mentioned, I use FOOD GRADE, so it is not toxic.
Great hack, thanks for posting! Has anyone ever told you that you would be great at doing Harry Enfield impressions!👍
Not sure Harry Enfield impressions would work, he’d have to clean the wipers saying “only mee!!” and when it cleaned them he’d have to say “ now I don’t believe I wanted to do that!”
There’s nearly no rain 🌧 fall water 💦 when you started the wiper blade. The blades will actually squeak when there’s barely water on the windshield glass.
Use NU finish instead to wipe down your windshield glass and it will eliminate the squeak noise
Hi Mate, thanks for the tip! Cheers Drew
What about using graphite powder instead? WD-40 rots rubber I was once told.
buy silcone wiper blades not rubber,silicone blades are expesive but last 3 or 4 times longer
Hi Brian, thanks for the tip! Cheers Drew
Damn !!! i just bought a new wiper, i wish i knew this earlier
Or use washing up liquid. Does the same thing , you’re basically cleaning the shit off. Don’t matter how you do it
Edit. A smear on a wet cloth is all I meant, cuts the road grease off and then you keep wiping them till they don’t leave black marks. Wul in the washer bottle is a nono
Hi Martin, thanks for the tip! I will try this out for sure! Cheers Drew
@@DrewFixIt no don't use washing up liquid it will cause a lot of problems you don't use it in the screen wash so don't use it on your wipers. Stick to wd-40
You don’t use WD40 in the screenwash either
@@trevorguy57 yeah but you're not putting wd-40 in the screen wash bottle you're cleaning the wipers wd-40 repels water washing up liquid will cause smearing and bubbles which you don't want I've been cleaning my wipers with wd-40 and it works fine. This video is a way to keep you're wipers working as new
@@djflintstone2816 The OP made it clear he didn't mean to use washing up liquid in the bottle, either. That just foams up. He said a small amount to clean the blades. Nothing wrong with that at all (other than it is not the best mix of surfactants to clean wiper blades).
The black residue is old oxidized rubber and not road grime. UV also breaks down the rubber so this trick is cleaning. The old deteriated rubber.
I could never get my wiper blades clean, no matter how much I tried. Could wipe them about ten times and you'd still get as much black gunk on the cloth as the first time.
Turns out I was wiping off the graphite coating used to reduce friction!
Hi Captain, mine are still really good after doing this nearly a year ago! Cheers Drew
That's not road grime, it's a breakdown of the rubber compound of the blade. Just like the rubber compound in tyres have a use by date regardless of whether the tyre still has heaps of tread
the compound breaks down and becomes unstable
It’s not grime…it’s mostly rubber oxidation…
Hi Walentin, thanks for the info! Cheers Drew
Another tip is to buy the rubber wiper blade inserts and you can pretty easily disassemble the wiper blade holder and replace just the rubber very cheaply
Hi Archie, interesting I did not know this. Where do you buy runner inserts from? Cheers Drew
@@DrewFixIt In the US Amazon has them, about $9 for 4 pieces. Search wiper blade refill or insert, something like that.
I tried the cocky’s piss hack, and it only works for a short time. I bit the bullet and got a full front set of Bosch blades from Supercheap Auto at $44.00 each. Good vid mate
Thanks for the feedback JS! Cheers DFI
If they are worn then cleaning won't do much. He mentioned that actually. But if you keep on cleaning them once they show smear, they will last longer.
I as well like the Bosch blades. Half price compared to the Audi OEM and as good.
I wouldn't honestly use anything petroleum based near my windscreen. I personally use neat windscreen washer fluid and a coarse sponge
Use Denatured Alcohol it doesn't smear ! also cheaper !
Thanks for the feedback, next time I will give Metho a go! Cheers Drew
hardens the rubber
@@krollpeter Metho hardens the rubber?
@@DrewFixIt My knowledge is, it can make elastomers swell and then harden. If natural rubber is being used there it's not good, Silicone polymers however are resistant.
I swear by WD-40, for releasing stubborn rusty nuts and bolts.
I did, the other day, have a little panic, because, my wipers decided to stop, mid-sweep, while it was raining.
I pulled over, and sprayed WD-40, into the gap, where my wiper rod is located, and managed to get wipers working again, within 5 seconds of spraying it on.
You'll understand this post better, when I tell you, my vehicle, is a 2005 Land Rover Defender.
And never use the crap on a firearm. It's useless. Use a quality light weight machine oil.
Hi Tim, thanks for the advice! Cheers Drew
This works because you're dissolving a bit of rubber (or whatever your wipers are made of). WD40 is a solvent. Put a good quality windshield sealant on the glass and you can skip this whole business. There are many good ones but the one I happen to like is Griot's. Costs less than 15 bucks a bottle, and 1 bottle will treat all the exterior glass on 4 or 5 regular size cars (or perhaps 10 cars if you do the front windshield only). Takes all of 10 minutes to apply, twice a year. Not only makes your wipers run smooth and true, but at 50 kph or higher, the water beads off on its own, so you don't have to use the wipers at all. Both extend the life of wipers immensely. Melting a tiny bit of your wipers with a fairly potent solvent and then running them over an untreated windshield doesn't seem like the best way to deal with rain. Spend 10 minutes and use the correct tool for the job. I've applied it to my vehicle's windshield regularly (as I mention, twice, perhaps 3 times a year maximum if you live in a very rainy/snowy climate and your vehicle is always parked outside) and the difference is absolutely night and day vs an untreated one. I'd urge anyone trying this WD40 trick to watch a few videos about glass sealants and pick one they like the look of. One of the best, cheapest decisions I ever made and I'll definitely never drive without it going forward.
Last week, a friend of mine recommended W40 SILICONE to me. works much better than normal W40.
I use it often . Works like a charm!
Warning: use WD 40 Silicone not straight WD40 as it eats rubber, it’s petroleum based
This is my thought as well. I use silicone spray not regular WD40. It will actually lubricate the windshield a bit too. And use it to lubricate the joint where the wiper arm meets the car.
Hi Mate, I have had a few people suggestion the same thing, however I am wondering whether the WD40 actually by dissolving a fraction of rubber actually leaves a fresh (newer surface) which is why the WD40 works so well? Cheers Drew
Thanks, Drew.
No problems Jim!! Cheers Drew