# Engine cleaning to make it shine and make me less dirty while working on it **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** cr-v, honda\ **Created:** [June 27, 2020, 3:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/engine-cleaning-to-make-it-shine-and-make-me-less-dirty-while-working-on-it/166456 "2020-06-27T15:47:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![smg252](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/smg252/32/21464_2.png) [@smg252](https://community.cartalk.com/u/smg252)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 3:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/engine-cleaning-to-make-it-shine-and-make-me-less-dirty-while-working-on-it/166456/1 "2020-06-27T15:47:40Z")
What do you guys recommend? I will use my gloves and get some rags but I like a product that is not very toxic because I am working in a garage with poor ventilation. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 3:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/engine-cleaning-to-make-it-shine-and-make-me-less-dirty-while-working-on-it/166456/2 "2020-06-27T15:52:58Z")
Buy a can of this. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/8/18a09608270476980525a6339876445c1886c183.jpeg) Drive to a coin-op car wash. Soak the engine with the engine cleaner. Drop some quarters into the machine, set it to rinse, grab the wand, and blast the dirt and grime away. Tester ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/engine-cleaning-to-make-it-shine-and-make-me-less-dirty-while-working-on-it/166456/3 "2020-06-27T16:28:11Z")
Tester , while I am sure that you could do this with out any problems but this person might cause damage because they have no idea where to aim and where not aim the spray wand. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 4:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/engine-cleaning-to-make-it-shine-and-make-me-less-dirty-while-working-on-it/166456/4 "2020-06-27T16:42:18Z")
> **[Learn these clean car engine tricks from the detail expert himself.](https://www.best-auto-detailing-tips.com/clean-car-engine.html)** > > Don't be afraid to clean car engine yourself. Learn these simple and effective ways of cleaning your car's engine yourself. Tester ---
**Author:** ![bcohen2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bcohen2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bcohen2010)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 4:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/engine-cleaning-to-make-it-shine-and-make-me-less-dirty-while-working-on-it/166456/5 "2020-06-27T16:51:15Z")
I always use brake parts cleaner together with shop rags to clean and degrease the engine, transmission, and surrounding areas, but I always work outside or in my carport which is open on two sides. I would not use this chemical in a confined space–it is highly flammable and the concentrated vapors are hazardous to your health. Since we are talking about taking the vehicle to a car wash, why not just pull it outside to clean and degrease the engine and surrounding areas and then pull it into your garage to work on it?