How to Change Your Windshield Wipers

Pivot the wiper arm up and away from the glass. Most arms have a spring that holds them in place once they're pointing up at roughly 90 degrees.

If you let go and the arm slams back down, it can crack the windshield - a repair far more expensive than any set of wiper blades. So support it gently until you're sure it's locked in the raised position.

Look at where the blade meets the arm. The arm ends in a J-shaped hook that passes through a slot on the blade, and right at that joint is a small plastic tab on the underside of the blade.

Press that tab down. You'll feel or hear it release from the hook.

With the tab pressed, slide the blade toward the base of the arm. The J-hook clears the slot and the blade comes free. Set the old blade aside.

Before you go further, check the size stamped on the old blade or on the new blade's package. The driver and passenger sides are often different lengths, and installing the wrong one leaves you with a streak down the windshield.

Take the new blade and line it up with the J-hook on the arm. The hook passes through a slot in the plastic spine of the blade.

Feed the arm's hook through the slot, then rotate the blade so it sits parallel to the arm.

Once the blade is lined up, pull it firmly toward the base of the J-hook. The plastic tab snaps back up and locks the blade into the hook - you'll hear a clear click.

Give the new blade a gentle side-to-side tug. If it doesn't slide off, you're locked in. If it does, keep pulling until the click is solid.

Ease the wiper arm back down onto the windshield. Don't let it snap - remember that cracked-windshield risk from step 1.

Now do the passenger side. Same process, different blade size most of the time. Finish by running the wipers once with a squirt of washer fluid to confirm a streak-free sweep.