cleaning under the hood?

my car has been sitting around for a while, and before its recent break it was sitting aroudn in the desert and some enormous desert rat built a nest in there..

its grungy, dirty, and there is rat sh*t scattered around. i'd like to break out a hose and spray the whole thing down, along with some vigorous detergent brush scrubbing.

is there any reason i shouldnt just have at it with the hose? seems like it shouldnt hurt anything, but id love an expert opinion.

NO as long as you don't steam clean it you should be alright. You may want to cover the coil assembly with a plastic bag but everything else should be just fine.

I wash my engine all the time. Just do what GTP Dad said and cover the coil assembly (Thats where the spark plug wires go into). I buy a long handled semi-stiff brush and scrub away.

You might cover the alternator, also. I don't think it would be too good to get the windings in it wet.