Wiper blades tips for the Zambian rainy season

The start of the rains means action time for your wipers! They have been basking in the sun for several months and probably become brittle and cracked. If so, they're not going to be much good at keeping your windshield clear in the middle of a good old Zambian downpour.

What you need to look for in a good wiper blade

Here’s what the Wirecutter, a gadgets website, has to say about wiper blades. 

“You have to find a wiper that fits and change it frequently. If your blades are the right size and they’re less than a year old, you can drive out into a storm with confidence that you’ve got a good chance of being able to see out the windshield.”

— The Wirecutter

— Flat versus metal blades

Flat wiper blades are lighter and more wind resistant than conventional metal-framed blades. But some motorists prefer to stick to the metal-framed type. Autoworld stocks both designs.

1.       Moon brand (flat plastic) wiper blades

2.       Kstar brand (steel frame) wiper blades

Both of these are available in sizes 11” – 28” to fit any type of vehicle from a small saloon right up to a large truck or coach. Autoworld will happily fit them for you at no extra charge — and that will help ensure you buy the right size.

— Quick tips on how to keep visibility high when driving

1. In the rainy season, insects on the windscreen can be a problem, especially at night. Make sure your windscreen washer tank is full and use a good quality windscreen washer additive. Ordinary detergents tend to block the thin piping which leads to the windscreen washer jets. We stock two leading windscreen washer brands — Spanjaard Windscreen Cleaner and Holts’ Motorcycle Bug Shifter (specifically for bug removal).
2. Avoid misting inside the vehicle by using a silicon spray. We have a range of different brands in stock. Put some on a cloth and wipe on the inside of vehicle windows. (You can also spray this on door rubbers to reseal them).
3. If your wipers leave lines on the windscreen when in use, its a sign that the rubber is brittle and needs replacing.
4. Always keep a spare set of wiper blades in case you need to change them in a hurry.