Mark it once you can do it without this page open.

How to do it

  1. Look up the blade lengths for your car in the owner's manual or measure each old blade end to end; driver and passenger sides often differ.
  2. Lay a folded towel on the windshield under the arm in case it snaps back.
  3. Lift the wiper arm away from the glass until it stays up on its own.
  4. Find the release tab or button where the blade joins the arm, press it, and slide the blade down and off the hook.
  5. Match the new blade's adapter to your arm type, then slide it onto the hook until you hear it click.
  6. Tug the blade gently to make sure it is locked, then lower the arm slowly onto the glass.
  7. Run the washers and wipers once to check the blade clears the glass cleanly.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the bare metal arm slap down onto the windshield, which can crack it.
  • Buying one length for both sides without checking.
  • Forgetting the rear wiper on hatchbacks and wagons.
  • Running wipers on a dry, dusty windshield, which wears new blades quickly.

Quick self-check

Three questions. Your last score is kept in this browser.

1. Why put a towel on the windshield first?
2. How do you know which blade length you need?
3. Which sign says the blades are due?

Teach this to someone

A one-page sheet for showing a friend, a roommate or a kid: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.

Sources

  • Your vehicle's owner's manual, for your model year. Checked September 28, 2026.

Last reviewed . First published .