How To Clean Your Engine Bay With A Steam Cleaner

When most people give their car a good clean, that usually involveswiping the seats down, washing the body with soap and water, and possibly vacuuming the interior. More detail-oriented owners, however, may extend it to cleaning up the engine bay. Given the sensitive nature of everything in this area of the average vehicle, there is a right way to clean out an engine bay, with a steam cleaner actually being a huge help with this particular task.

Using a steam cleaner to tidy up an oily, gunky engine bay is pretty simple. First, you'll want to let your engine cool down for about two hours and protect sensitive electricals with plastic or foil. Then, with the plastic engine cover removed, use an all-purpose cleaner or degreaser on the areas you want to clean. Let the cleaner sit for a few minutes so it can start working away at the accumulated dirt and debris before steaming. Once done, use a microfiber towel or rag to wipe away excess moisture from the engine bay. As a finishing touch, you may want to apply an anti-corrosive wax for extra protection.

To those largely unfamiliar with automotive care, steam cleaning the engine bay might seem comically superfluous. As it turns out, though, there are a few good reasons to keep this part of your ride clean, even if they aren't particularly game-changing.

It may not be the most obvious or necessary car care task, but cleaning an engine bay does offer some benefits. For one, keeping this area clean makes problems like oil and fluid leaks easier to spot than if your engine bay were caked in dirt and crud. If you're the do-it-yourself type, a clean engine bay also means you're less likely to come out covered in dirt and grime after working on your engine.

A clean engine bay will not, however, affect engine performance. Don't expect acceleration, startup, or idling issues to improve, since the causes likely lie elsewhere. Clearing out leaves and other debris from the engine bay can be helpful, however, especially if they're clogging air intakes and reducing the efficiency of the engine and other components. Otherwise, though, don't expect cleaning your engine bay to magically make your engine run better.

Admittedly, steam cleaning your engine isn't the most essential part of cleaning your ride. But if you have the right equipment, there are few downsides to adding this task — and other ways of getting an ultra-clean car – to your vehicle cleaning routine.