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Cutting wipers: does it make sense?

Cutting windshield wipers can increase their lifetime, provided the cut is done cleanly. In many cases, however, the recut fails, the pressure on the disc decreases and the missing graphite layer causes more friction: The result is a wiping pattern loaded with streaks or unpleasant noises like squeaking or rattling.

How to cut wipers

There are special cutting knives available in the aftermarket that you can use to shorten your wiper blades. The knife is placed on the wiper blade and pulled downwards with light pressure so that a narrow strip of the rubber lip is removed. If the pressure on the lip is too great or irregular, the edge of the wiper blade won’t be even, which can negatively affect the wiping result. It’s therefore better to just replace your windscreen wipers, because then they’ll also last longer.

Cutting wipers: why it isn’t a good idea

Cutting wipers may seem like a good solution at first glance to extend the lifetime of the wiper blades, but it also comes with some disadvantages.

Reduces wiping quality

If the wiper blades aren’t cut cleanly, the wiping result may be worse than before. Recutting also changes the bending properties of the wiper lip and the wiper edge geometry, which also produces a poorer wiping pattern. If this is the case, the wipers must be replaced in any case.

Missing graphite layer causes more friction

Cutting windshield wipers can remove the thin graphite layer on the rubber lip. This layer is the main thing that ensures low-friction gliding on the windscreen, so even a perfectly recut wiper will never glide over the windscreen as well as a new one. Since the wiper blades can only be recut once, it only slightly increases the lifetime.

What are the alternatives to recutting?

We strongly advise you not to cut your wipers. Even high-quality wiper blades can be obtained at a low cost these days, so it’s advisable to invest the money in a new set of wipers instead. You can increase the lifetime of your new wipers  Care for your wipers properly and regularly and correctly readjust your wiper arms from time to time.

This way you’ll manage to get more out of your wipers more easily and save yourself a lot of frustration and work and, above all, prevent poor results associated with cutting the wiper rubbers.