I use the garden hose on sprinke. Gets all the dirt out. Then I run the car for a bit to evaporate the water.

As for cracking the block... yeah I am sure it is possible so do it cold ( I do). but if you think about it... water (in some cases snow) hits it all the time.

 

Simple green works great and long with a spray detailer and whatever plastic cleaner/shine you want to use on the plastic parts. It takes me 10mins to clean mine but I do it every weekend......

 

So I need to cover up what....

The battery, the air filter box, the power distribution box, the alternator, and the spark plugs?

 

Simple Green it. We buy it undiluted in gallon jugs. I then mix it 50/50 with water. Spray on pretty heavy, let it set a bit, but not so long it starts to dry on, then hose it off. Get a absorbent micro fiber towel, use it to down around the plugs to get the excess water sucked out, then commence to drying it off with the microfiber towel... once its all pretty dry, (I will park mine in the sun and work out in the open so the sun and a breeze helps it dry on out) I use generous quantities of Armor All Tire Foam on the hoses and plastic parts. Dust doesn't cling to the tire foam like regular armor all, and it leaves the hoses and black parts looking nice and clean, deep black, but not greasy-shiny looking. (Be sure you wipe off any uber-excess tire foam though, or it won't all soak in, then it WILL look greasy) I've also noticed if it gets on the paint, just polish it off with a dry microfiber rag.

In addition to q-tips, I highly recommend a damp, soft bristle child's or infant's toothbrush. Won't mar the paint, and can get in some tight places a q-tip might not can reach or won't have the strength to clean. *nods* WD-40 is also helpful for the greasy parts, as has been mentioned here already.

Good luck to you! I have FOUR to get ready for a show my car club is hosting this weekend - and its rained here every day for a week. Its gonna suck trying to get them all ready tomorrow evening.

Edit: Maybe I'm living on borrowed time, but I've never covered up anything under the hood of my cars and trucks, and I've never had a problem. But then, I don't go crazy with the water - I use as little as possible to get the job done, then dry it out as quickly as I can.

 

My engine is totally stock, like it came from the factory, so I don't want to have too much shine going on. Not to mention the way some of that stuff attracts dust.
I will spray the area around the sparkplugs with compressed air first, then try to spray out other hard-to-get-to areas. Then just detail with a damp rag in one hand and a dry one in the other.
Be sure to not use your old cotton terry towels, as they leave bits all over. Just use you older MF ones. I use a toothbrush for some areas or wrap the towel around it.
Just be careful around the battery terminals. Mine was covered in some red stuff Ford puts on there now that my 2005 wasn't... ruined my good MF towel!

 

I haven't cleaned mine either yet lol, but ill take these tips and get to it!