I just lay newspapers and tape everything up, then rattle can them

 

ditto... looks great too. sand blasting? are we still talking about windshield wipers?

 

not the blades... just the ARMS for them [8D]

 

i did exactly that on mine. remove them, clean the surface and use semi-gloss black from a poof can. as an extra insurance, i covered them in clear to seal the paint in. looks new, clean and semi-shiny.

 

if you want a professional look and quality:

1. remove the wiper arms from the car and remove the replaceable blades
2. since some metal is already showing, the best way to go is to completely sand it down to the metal. then clean up and mask the springs or other moving parts if you want to be safe.
3. prime with self-etching primer (duplicolor). this is good stuff and is designed to use with bare metal. if you want a smoother surface, sand the primer when dry (i left mine as is).
4. paint surface with exterior paint such as duplicolor. i used satin black and the finished product looks clean and professional.

i like to keep my civic clean and so far i have repainted just about every paintable surface that was fading when i bought the car.

props for paying attention to the details. hope you can use some of this advice

 

rustoleum paint works fine for me