The first step of cleaning an engine is to remove any plastic covers so you can clean them separately and disconnecting the battery. Taking off the negative terminal is enough. Then you cover the battery and electronic components with plastic so they won't get wet.
After this, you just need to use a de-greaser on your engine. One meant for the kitchen should work fine, or you can buy one meant for engines. Any areas with caked on grime should be scrubbed with a brush with synthetic bristles. Then, just rinse and you've got the cleanest engine in La Quinta.
