The engine and other components under the hood in my Corolla are getting pretty coated with dust and grit. I don't drive in sandy conditions, but it almost seems like the components, especially the plastic engine cover, attract and hold dust. I want to clean up in there because of the potential of grit getting into things it can cause problems with.
I am thinking that with a relatively cool engine, I should be able to direct first a soapy, gentle spray then a gentle rinse spray downward over the engine and other components, but I am worried that water might get where it isn't supposed to and short something. Is this a reasonable concern? If so, is there any better way of cleaning under the hood than just wiping everything down?