cleaning an engine bay

[vandezand]

So my honda has a leaky valve cover and I wanna clean the bay up to see if there's oil leaking anywhere. Ive heard simple green but here's my problem: I live in an apartment. I don't have access to running water and i wouldn't be comfortable doing it in the parking lot. I don't really have anyone around here that i could ask. Would I be fine going to the car wash and spraying it down?

 

[malibulvr]

I would Simple Green and then go to the car wash (self wash).

 

[vandezand]

Do I have to worry about getting anything wet? Like the distributor or anything

 

[DennisH2014]

I would do a quick wash around the area of the possible leak using a light degreaser, and a scrub brush. Then rinse it all off, and dry it off; once dry, spray the area with a healthy dose of brake cleaner!

Make sure to avoid directly shooting water into spark plug wells, or into the intake, or on the electrical connectors; if they get a little wet that's fine, just don't soak them.