Car Engine Cleaning: Simplified Tips for Real-World Success

When it comes to car engine cleaning, there’s no shortage of bad advice and outdated techniques floating around online.

Most of what you’ll find comes from people still thinking in terms of engines built 20+ years ago — not the modern, computer-controlled systems we drive today.

Scroll through YouTube or any car forum, and you’ll see the same pattern: overcomplicated routines, exaggerated warnings, and fear-based misinformation that make most people terrified to clean under the hood.

The result?

Many owners either avoid it entirely or assume it’s something only professionals can handle.

But here’s the truth — with the right approach, cleaning your car’s engine is simple, safe, and incredibly satisfying.

I’ve met plenty of customers who never give their engine bay a second thought, yet to me, true detailing means caring for every part of your vehicle — including the part you rarely see.

Dirty Car Engine

Clean Car Engine

"When you lift your hood, which engine would you rather see staring back at you — the clean, cared-for one or the neglected mess?
Guess which one your mechanic respects more."

Car Engine Cleaning Made Simple

1. Use effective engine degreaser.
2. Apply degreaser to all areas of dirty car engine.
3. Agitate excessively dirty areas of engine.
4. Spray engine off with water.
5. Blow off excessive water with leaf blower.
6. Start engine and allow to reach normal operating temperature.
   
7. Apply engine dressing if desired.

Automotive Engine Cleaning:
What Would Darren Do (WWDD)

I am often asked by my long term followers the following:

"Darren, just tell me what you would do!"

I also know from experience that this often comes from a place of personal frustration from people just like yourself.

People who are confused and frustrated by the endless opinions from the endless so-called experts.

And for this reason I am going to lay out exactly what I use and what I do to detail the engine of the not just my own cars, but the cars of my customers.

The Best Engine Degreaser:
Starting with the Essential

Chemical Guys Super Orange on Amazon

Chemical Guys Degreaser:

• Heavy-Duty Performance: Quickly cuts through built-up grease, grime, and oil.
• Multi-Surface Cleaning Power: Safe and effective on engines, tires, tools, and more.
• Professional-Grade Formula: Built to handle the toughest detailing challenges.
• Fast-Acting Results: Rapidly breaks down stubborn contaminants for a deep clean.
• Versatile Application: Ideal for automotive, garage, and industrial use.
• Concentrated Efficiency: Easily dilute for light, medium, or heavy-duty cleaning.
• Surface Renewal: Restores the clean, like-new look of parts, tools, and components.
• Exterior Safe: Perfect for undercarriages, wheel wells, and other exposed areas.
• Simple to Use: Just spray, agitate, and rinse — powerful results, minimal effort.
• Pro-Tested, Enthusiast-Approved: Trusted by professional detailers and car care fans alike.

Professional Sprayers

Chemical Guys Professional Sprayers on Amazon

• Perfect for using your blended concentrate solution
• The exact spray bottles and spray heads I use professionally
• Chemical persistent sprayer heads
• The most ergonomically friendly sprayer heads I have used

Performance Chemical sprayer on Amazon

• Perfect for dispensing larger amounts of chemicals (like when you are degreasing car engine or using wheel cleaner)
• A far more efficient and effective way to clean larger areas of your car that require larger amounts of a cleaner
• This pump sprayer allows me to mix my car engine degreaser in the container, and then dispense quickly and easily
• I use this pump sprayer specifically when I am cleaning my wheels, wheel wells, and engines as these tasks require the use of large amounts of my choice in cleaners
• Say good-bye to the fatigue you will suffer when dispensing large amounts of a cleaner through a traditional spray bottle

Professional Wheel Brush (Engine Brush)

Wheelie All Exterior Surface and Wheel Brush on Amazon

• This is marketed as a wheel brush, but I use and reserve one of these any time I am cleaning and detailing car engines.
• Use to agitate heavily soiled areas of your car engine once you have applied the degreaser.
• Especially useful for the under-side of your engine hood.
• My professional choice in quality brushes.
• Feathered bristle tips for extra effectiveness and safety.
  

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Car Engine Cleaning:
Dressing Your Car Engine

While I believe most people can appreciate the value of car engine cleaning and the end results, there are varying opinions as to whether to put an engine dressing onto your freshly detailed car engine.

I get the reservations you may have and accept that engine dressing is not for everyone. Anyone that actually drives dirt roads or uses their car/truck/SUV for off-road use will definitely have a negative opinion on this subject.

So with that said, let me apply my perspective on the subject.

• It is one thing to have a very clean engine; another thing to have an engine that is not only detailed to perfection, but has been dressed and literally looks better than the day you bought it!
• This added step of dressing your car engine really puts the "Wow Factor" into the equation!
• You can look at a quality engine dressing as a sacrificial barrier for your engine (kind of like wax for your car paint; a layer that protects the engine components from dirt that will get onto your car engine)
• The dressing will be removed along with the dirt the nest time you perform your car engine cleaning

Darren’s Note:
A lot of people believe that applying an engine dressing will cause the engine bay to collect more dirt. The truth is, it doesn’t work like a magnet — it won’t attract extra dirt or dust. What really happens is that once your engine is clean and dressed, the smooth, shiny surfaces simply make any new dirt more visible than before.

Now, it’s worth noting that not all engine dressings are created equal. Many are packed with silicones and heavy solvent-based ingredients that leave a greasy, sticky residue — and yes, that kind of product can make dirt cling more easily.

That’s exactly why I recommend this particular dressing. It’s formulated to enhance and protect without leaving that oily buildup. Each time you degrease your engine, the light layer of dressing and any accumulated dirt will wash away cleanly — leaving you ready for a fresh, professional-looking application every time.

Griot's Garage Engine Dressing on Amazon

Griot's Garage Engine Dressing

• Restores a Factory-Fresh Look: Revives dull, faded engine bay surfaces for a clean, like-new finish.
• Protects and Preserves: Safe on all materials under the hood — helps prevent cracking, fading, and discoloration of plastic and rubber components.
• Non-Greasy Finish: Leaves a smooth, dry-to-the-touch surface that won’t attract dust, grime, or debris over time.
• Quick and Easy Application: Spray on and cover the entire engine bay in minutes — no oily residue or heavy buildup.
• Customizable Shine: Apply a light coat for a natural satin finish, or add additional layers for extra gloss and depth.

Darren’s Professional Tips

When it comes to car engine cleaning, one of the most common debates is whether or not to apply an engine dressing after you’ve degreased and cleaned everything.

Here are a few professional guidelines to help you decide what’s right for your situation:

• Skip It for Off-Road Vehicles (Usually):
  I generally don’t recommend using a dressing on off-road vehicles — though I personally still do. I consider it a sacrificial barrier between the dirt and my actual engine components. In other words, I accept that the dressing will attract some dust and grime, but it’s easier to clean off later than having that dirt baked directly onto my engine surfaces.
• Think of It as a Temporary Shield:
  This dressing acts as a light, sacrificial layer that can easily be washed away each time you repeat your car engine cleaning process — leaving your engine ready for a fresh, professional finish every time.

Apply the recommended dressing listed above to take your freshly cleaned engine to a solid level 10 in appearance!

Darren's YouTube Video Channel

Make sure you check out and subscribe to my YouTube video channel as I continually upload more and more tutorial videos that are taken straight from my world as a professional detailer at Auto Fetish Detail. You can subscribe with my YouTube icon just below!

Sincerely,

Darren Priest

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