I went to buy refills at the dealer and suprise. They only sell blades which pretty much anywhere does nowadays. So the parts guy tells me that he's had his for 7 years and that all you have to do is wipe them with soapy water until the black comes off. (The black crap is from Diesel trucks and cars. It gets on the road and in the water then splashes up on the windshield) Then he said to clean the wind shield really well with soapy water and repeat every few months they will last for years. Pretty cool that he saved me some cash. Other guys wouldn't have done that. Can anyone back this up?

Also I bought the Volvo leather cleaner which the manual recommended because of the stain treatment which was applied when it was new. Thoughts? Cheers.

 

I don't know about 7 years, but cleaning the blades helps a lot. I always scrub the blades when washing the car an a bunch of black residue is always left behind on the sponge. Also, if the blades start to streak, a quick cleaning usually takes care of it.

 

Learned something about wipers form the Volvo parts guy.
Lucky you! I haven't experienced this from any local store, that's why I end up buying parts online and it's more convenient.

 

wash my car inside and out every friday after work
i always wash the blades you will be amazed by the crap thats on them