How to Get Ice Off Wiper Blades Without Damaging Them

You clear the windshield, start the wipers, and they smear a streak across the glass because the rubber is frozen solid. Ice on wiper blades is easy to remove the wrong way and tear a blade you just paid for. Here's how to get ice off wiper blades safely, what to avoid, and how to keep it from building up.

Key takeaways

• Warm the glass first. The defroster does most of the work on frozen wipers.
• Never yank a wiper that's frozen to the windshield. You can tear the rubber or bend the arm.
• Clear the wipers last, after the snow and the glass.
• Skip hot water and metal tools.

How to remove ice from wiper blades, step by step

1. Start the car and run the defroster. Leave the wipers off. If your car has a wiper de-icer setting, turn it on too.
2. Clear the snow and the glass first. Push loose snow off the roof, hood and windshield, then scrape the ice from the top of the windshield down. Snow left on the roof will slide back onto the wipers you just cleared.
3. Free the blades gently. Once the glass warms, the wipers usually let go on their own. If a blade is still stuck, wait a few more minutes rather than pulling it.
4. Lift each wiper away from the glass once it's free.
5. Clear ice off the rubber. Hold the wiper arm steady in one hand. Run a scraper groove, or your gloved fingers, along the rubber from the top of the blade toward you. Flex the blade lightly to crack off what's left.
6. Clear the gap below the windshield. Packed ice in the channel where the wipers rest will freeze them down again.
7. Lower the wipers and check. Make one slow pass with washer fluid. If the blade streaks, look for ice you missed or a torn edge.

De-icing sprays and home mixes

• Store-bought de-icer spray: made for the job and safe on most wiper rubber. Spray, wait, then wipe.
• Rubbing alcohol mixed with water: a common home mix. Alcohol has a low freezing point, so it loosens ice. Test it on one blade first.
• Winter washer fluid: rated for freezing temperatures and useful once the blades move.

Whatever you use, follow the label and keep sprays off paint where the label says to.

Mistakes that ruin wiper blades

Pouring hot water on the glass

A sudden temperature change can crack a cold windshield, and the water refreezes on the blades within minutes.

Running frozen wipers

Switching the wipers on while they're stuck can tear the rubber, strain the motor or bend the arm.

Chipping with metal or a hard blade

Knives, keys and hard scraper blades gouge the rubber edge. A gouged blade streaks for the rest of its life.

Pulling a stuck blade

If a wiper is frozen to the glass, give the defroster more time. Pulling rips the rubber away from its frame.

How to stop ice building up on wipers

• Lift the wipers off the glass before a storm, if your car allows it and they won't be in the way of other cars or a car wash.
• Use a windshield cover that tucks under the wipers.
• Fill up with winter washer fluid before the first freeze.
• Consider winter wiper blades, which are wrapped to keep ice out of the frame.
• Replace worn blades. If they streak, chatter or skip on clean glass, they're done.

Where The EDGE fits

We make The EDGE, so take this as our description. It's an 18 × 14-inch tray-style snow and ice scraper with a Wiper Blade Clearing Groove, a small V-notch at the center of its back edge. Hold the wiper steady, set the rubber in the groove, and draw it from the top of the blade toward you. You clear the ice from the rubber without chipping at it with a blade.

The rest of the tool follows the same order as above: the paint-friendly Rubber Snow Plow takes loose snow off any surface first, and the Tri-Force Blade System, one 18-inch and two 14-inch hard blades, handles ice on glass only. It's patented, stows flat or upright, comes with a 5-year guarantee on the unit, and costs $29.99.

See The EDGE

Frequently asked questions

How do I get ice off my wiper blades fast?

Run the defroster with the wipers off, clear the snow and glass while it warms, then clear the rubber with a groove or gloved fingers. Forcing it is what makes it slow, because you end up replacing blades.

Can I pour warm water on frozen wipers?

It's risky. Hot water can crack cold glass, and even warm water refreezes on the blades. Use the defroster or a de-icer spray.

Should I lift my wipers before a snowstorm?

Many drivers do, and it stops the blades freezing to the glass. Check that your wiper arms are made to stand up, and lower them before you drive.

Why do my wipers streak after I clear the ice?

Either some ice is left on the rubber, or the edge was torn. Clean the blade and test again; if it still streaks, replace it.