Leaf it to us! Top Tips to Avoid Wiper Blade Damage this Autumn

While we may mourn the passing of the summer months, there is still plenty to appreciate in autumn with its beautiful orangey hues, cosier evenings and – of course - pumpkin spice everything.

Indeed, the change in the season brings with it a shift in nature as the nights draw in and trees once full of blossom shed their leaves.

It makes for quite the spectacle, but when it comes to wiper blades, those fallen leaves can have detrimental effect on the efficiency of your windscreen wipers.

Of course, each season brings its own challenge for wiper blades – the perils of being an externally-positioned operational device – with the combination of cooler conditions, rainier weather and natural debris being autumn’s weapons of choice.

Indeed, autumn can be a particularly harsh season for wiper blades.

Beyond the fact they’ll be in use more because of a change in the climate means the likelihood of more rain, discarded leaves that have fallen onto your vehicle can be damaging too.

After all, who hasn’t spent a few moments clearing those pesky leaves by hand when you return to a vehicle parked under a tree during September, October and November?

An Affordable Upgrade That Makes a Big Difference 

Wiper blades are one of the most cost-effective upgrades for your vehicle, yet they play a crucial role in ensuring clear vision and safer driving. 

With Wiperblades.co.uk you can purchase the wiper blades that are guaranteed to fit your vehicle, all at great value prices, even among top name brands like Bosch, Michelin and Lucas.

Plus, with our easy-to-follow fitment videos and expert guidance, you can install them in under a minute—keeping your windscreen spotless with minimal effort.   

How Do Leaves Damage Wiper Blades

Gritty Material – Leaves by their very nature are rough in texture, so using wiper blades to shift them on your windscreen can have a big effect on your robust but flexible wiper blade rubber. Whether it is grit, dirt, bird muck or twigs that have fallen in unison, wiper blades aren’t designed to clear such rough material so doing so could act like pulling sandpaper across your windscreen.

Sappy Conditions – Leaves will eventually fall even if we go on to have an unseasonably warm autumn, but when they do there is an increased chance of sticky, hard to shift sap from trees and leaves settling onto the windscreen too 

Scratched Windscreens – As well as making your wiper blades work harder to compensate for the rougher material, pulling leaves across the windscreen could scratch the glass. This is particularly problematic in the autumn months as it could prompt streaks and blemishes in the glass to distract you when the sun is low and blinding.

What You Can Do About It

Change Your Wiper Blades – If you’ve indeed done what very many do and used your windscreen wipers to clear leaves, it is probably time to invest in a new set that will clean it efficiently just in time for those autumn showers. With Wiperblades.co.uk, our registration search tool brings you multiple wiper blade options at fantastic prices that are guaranteed to fit your vehicle and your vehicle only.

Park in Open Spaces – The best way to avoid getting leaves, grit and general muck on your car is to avoid parking directly beneath trees. The change in the seasons come quickly and if one leaf falls, many will likely follow, so by parking in open spaces you’re less likely to find your car under a blanket of them.

Remove All Leaves By Hand – We hear you, you’re in a rush, but it could save you plenty of problems further down the line if you stop to clear ALL leaves from around your windscreen before you drive off. Indeed, while it might be tempting to use your wipers to clear one or two errant leaves on to go, just the one might be enough to cause damage that prevents them from working as well thereafter.

Use Plenty of Washer Fluid – Be sure to keep your windscreen washer topped up so you can use it liberally on your windscreen to ensure that any dust and grit is removed before your wiper blades cross over them. Wiperblades.co.uk offers a range of washer fluid options, including the Screenwash Pod, an environmentally friendly alternative to that big bottle of washer fluid you’re lugging around in your boot. The Screenwash Pod is tiny yet offers the equivalent of a five-litre bottle of pre-mixed washer fluid.