Why People are Lifting Their Windshield Wipers at Night — Let's Break It Down...

Why it works

1. The blades don't freeze to the glass. On a cold, damp night, moisture collects between the rubber wiper blade and the windshield and then freezes, gluing the blade to the glass. A blade standing up in the air has nothing to freeze to. In the morning, you simply lower it back down.

2. The rubber isn't torn. When a blade is frozen onto the windshield, the natural urge is to pull it loose, and that can rip the thin rubber edge. A torn or nicked blade leaves streaks and smears every time it moves, which is the last thing you want on a grey, wet winter drive.

3. The wiper motor isn't strained. Many drivers leave the wiper switch on, or have automatic wipers. Start the car with the blades frozen in place, and the motor tries to move arms that can't move. That can strain the motor and the linkage, or blow a fuse, and that repair costs a lot more than a pair of new blades.

4. Clearing the glass is easier. With the wipers up and out of the way, you can scrape or brush the whole windshield, including the bottom edge, where ice and snow tend to pile up around the blades. No working around the arms, no chipping at ice packed under the rubber. So should everyone do it on every cold night? Not quite. On the next page: when you should leave your wipers down, and the winter mistake that can crack your windshield.