Yes, a blade’s natural rubber deteriorates after about six months. A good rule of thumb is to check and replace wiper blades as needed when time changes to and from daylight savings time.
Yes, the biggest enemy of wiper blades is exposure to sunlight and ozone. There is little that can be done to reduce ozone exposure, but limiting the amount of time your wiper blades are exposed to direct sunlight will help prolong the life of the wiper blade.
No, but windshield wipers can develop a “permanent set”condition over time if overly exposed to the hot sun. The rubber hardens and the blade loses its flexibility to conform to the shape of the windshield, degrading performance.
Yes, it's recommended that windshield wipers be cleaned periodically to remove road grime, bugs and other debris. If your windshield wipers smear water, try cleaning the windshield and then your wiper blades with hot, soapy water or another nonabrasive liquid.
No, only the rubber element of the wiper blade should come in contact with your windshield. That's why it's important to change windshield wipers immediately when the wiper element becomes torn so the blade’s metal vertebra does not come in contact with your windshield.