Did you know you should replace your wiper blades twice a year? Old blades are ineffective and streak across your window, clouding your visibility. Take the padlock off your wallet and take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to prevent a potential accident.

I’ve had problems in the past replacing my wiper blades, so I wrote up this little guide to show you how easy it is once you know what to do. I go skiing a lot so I know how difficult it is to see in a snowstorm, not to mention through a cloudy windshield. Is there anything more annoying than wearing glasses with scratches or smudges on the lens? The difference between foggy glasses and wiper blades is that you can simply take off your glasses and wipe them on your shirt. You don’t have the same luxury if your wipers aren’t working. Visibility is crucial when you’re behind the wheel of a few thousand pound vehicle and a split second reaction could be the difference between safety and disaster. Here are some easy instructions on how to replace your old wiper blades.

1. Lift your wiper blades off the windshield until the pivot point locks the arms in an upright position. If they are stuck, don’t force them. Some wipers have a locking tab on the base that you may need to release.

-Tip: If it is difficult to reach the blades, turn on your car’s ignition and flip on your wipers. Then shut off your car when the wipers are midstroke.

2. Examine the existing wiper blade attachment, where the wiper blade meets the arm. You will now remove the old wiper. There is usually a tab to press that will allow the blade to disengage from arm. Some attachements have a small metal bump and two tabs on either side. In this case, press the tabs and pull to remove the blade.

3. Once you take the old blade off you might want to apply a little anti-seize compound. Examine the new blade—you will then either simply slide it onto the arm or attach it with an adapter that came with it. Give the new blade a firm shove until it clicks into place.

4. Pat yourself on the back. That wasn’t so bad now was it?

If you have ever replaced your wiper blades before you know it can be frustrating, but once you know how to do it, it’s a breeze. I can remember the first time I went to replace mine. I swung by a local auto store and grabbed the first package of wiper blades I saw—big mistake. When I got home I ripped open the new pack and attempted to attach the new ones. In my haste I didn’t realize that cars come in different shapes and sizes, which inevitably means they have different parts. Duh. So you will want to measure your current wiper blades because they come in a variety of sizes. Also, just replace the whole wiper blade. I’ve heard some people trying to replace the rubber part and it just doesn’t make sense. The refills probably won’t fit perfectly, which translates to poor performance. I’m sure you have probably heard the previous advice, but here is a tip you might not have considered. Lay down a towel or pad on your windshield while you are changing the blades. If the wiper arm snaps down when there is no blade attached it can easily crack your windshield resulting in hundreds of dollars of damage.