Your windshield wipers can make the difference between disaster and arriving safely at your destination. So which wipers perform best in winter rain and grime -- and how often should you change them?

Your wipers don't last forever. If you are getting streaks or your wipers won't clear heavy rain --before you replace them -- clean them. A good cleaning might be all you need.

Washer fluid makes blades last longer. Running a wiper over dirty glass without washer fluid is like sandpaper on the wiper blade and can cause damage to the window

"The dirt is going to act like an abrasive and slowly wear the finish of the window away," said Ken Cousin, the director of BCAA's Road Assistance Program.

In cold weather make sure the wiper mechanism isn't clogged with ice and snow,

"As you are moving the defroster mechanism on your vehicle is not going to clear out the snow and ice," said Cousin.

You can buy winter wipers which won't clog up because they are covered.

"Places like Kelowna, Kamloops, Prince George where you get winter for a good portion of the year, for several months, are areas where you'll see lots of the winter blades," said Cousin.

So which wipers wipe best? Consumer Reports tested 15 to see how well they remove water after three months, six months, and nine months. They also tested a newer type called a Beam Blade.

"They come as a whole blade you install, no metal or plastic frames or any joints like conventional wipers," said John Galeotofiore of Consumer Reports.

Testers built a machine to simulate rain. It delivers a sequence of rain patterns from a heavy downpour to a light mist. Testers sized up how much water is left behind, and if there are lines, smudges, streaks, or squeaks.

The good news?

"Our tests showed that when new, these blades performed at least very good, if not excellent," said Galeotofiore.

The bad news? Consumer Reports tests show wipers deteriorate in just a few months.

"After three months, most of the wipers didn't clean as well. And after six months, only one scored better than good," said Galeotofiore

The top performer was the Rainx Latitude wiper blades that cost about $23 dollars.

Here's a tip that will save money: you might not actually need an entire wiper if this assembly is still good. If you go to your car dealer's parts department they may be able to sell you just the rubber piece at a fraction of the price.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen.