I grew up in the South, the son of a single mother from The Bronx. I was eating hash while the other kids got to fill up on catfish 'n' grits. Even though Atlanta weather seldom produced any white stuff, she was a stickler about keeping that washer fluid reservoir full. "Sure," I thought, "it's nice to be able to clean the red clay dust off your windshield once a week, but what's the big deal?" I didn't understand why she did it and she didn't understand why I was asking, so we never really got anywhere on the issue.

Fast forward 20 years, and now I'm the New Yorker. I have seen the light. I finally understood the fuss over windshield washer fluid. One trip down a damp, salty road will leave your windshield looking like cheesecloth, so you are continually pulling that washer lever.

Keeping your windshield clear isn't a matter of vanity. In the winter months there are ice patches, snow drifts, lost deer and lazy highway workers all over the place. If your windshield is covered in a salty film, by the time you spot these road hazards it may be too late. This is no big deal if your washer fluid is full, because you can spray it off with the flick of your wrist.

Another regular wintertime casualty is the windshield wiper blade. All of that added grit on your windshield is like sandpaper to the soft rubber of your wiper blades. Since safety comes first, the last thing you need are inferior wipers. If you live in a climate that sees a lot of snow, you'll need to replace your wiper blades at the beginning of the season, and again some time in January (until global warming makes snow in the US a distant memory).

So keep in mind the two simple schemes for a clean screen: replace your wiper blades and refill your washer fluid!