Drive through any neighborhood the night before a big snow and you’ll see it: rows of parked cars with their wiper arms standing straight up. Some drivers swear by the habit. Others think it’s pointless or even harmful. So who’s right? The short answer is that lifting your wipers is usually the safer bet, but the bigger risk to your car in winter has less to do with wipers and more to do with how you clear the ice off afterward.

The Case for Lifting

When freezing rain or wet snow lands on a windshield, it can lock the rubber edge of each blade to the glass. In the morning, the temptation is to yank the wiper free or flip on the wiper switch and hope. Either move can rip the rubber edge, leaving you with streaks the next time it rains.

Turning on frozen wipers is the bigger problem. The wiper motor and the linkage that moves the arms aren’t designed to fight a sheet of ice. Forcing them can bend parts or burn out the motor, and that repair costs far more than a new set of blades.

Lifted wipers also stay out of the way while you scrape, so you can clear the bottom edge of the windshield where ice tends to build up.

The Case for Leaving Them Down

People who leave their wipers in place have a few fair points. It’s one more thing to remember every time you park. A good defroster will often release frozen blades within a few minutes anyway. And in high winds, a lifted arm could get knocked around or snap back onto the glass.

The other common argument, that lifting wears out the springs in the wiper arms, doesn’t hold up well. Those springs are made to hold steady tension for years, and plenty of older cars still have their original arms working fine.

Our take

If you park outside and expect ice or freezing rain, lift them. If you forget, don’t panic: start the car, run the defroster on high and wait until the blades release on their own before using them.

How to Clear Snow and Ice Without Scratching Anything

Here’s where real damage tends to happen. Using the wrong tool on glass or paint can leave scratches that never come out. A simple rule helps: if you wouldn’t use it on your car in July, don’t use it in January.

1. Warm things up first. Start the car (outside, never in a closed garage), set the defroster to high and give it several minutes. Everything gets easier as the glass warms.
2. Clear the roof and hood. Use a soft snow brush or foam snow broom and push snow away from the windshield, not onto it. Many states expect drivers to clear snow from the roof before driving.
3. Break up thick ice. Most plastic scrapers have a ridged side. Use it first to score heavy ice into smaller pieces.
4. Finish with the flat edge. Flip the scraper over and clear the loosened ice with the smooth blade.
5. Check lights, mirrors and sensors. Headlights, taillights and the camera and radar sensors used by driver-assist systems all need to be clear.

• A large plastic scraper, which gives you more leverage than a small one
• A snow brush with soft bristles or a foam head
• Winter-rated washer fluid that won’t freeze
• De-icer spray for locks and stubborn spots

What If the Windshield Gets Damaged Anyway?

Winter is hard on glass. Gravel and road salt kicked up by plows, falling ice and temperature swings can all turn a small chip into a long crack. Fixing a chip early is usually quicker and cheaper than replacing the whole windshield.

Glass damage is generally handled under the comprehensive portion of an auto policy, if you carry it. Some insurers waive the deductible for chip repairs, and some offer optional full glass coverage that reduces or eliminates the deductible for replacement. A few states have their own rules on glass deductibles. Whether any of this applies depends on your insurer, your policy and where you live, so it’s worth checking before you need it.

This article is for general information only. Coverage varies by insurer, policy and state; review your own policy or talk with a licensed agent about your situation.