Don't be afraid my friend,come to the darkside
Just take what you can off [filter]and clean those parts,then use a lite degreaser and spray -hoses,heads and things like that that can get grease from the road.When hosing the engine down,use a low spray nozzle and have the engine running while you rinse.Before you rinse off the engine just use a soft brush and car soap and wash the engine down,stay away from electrically stuff,they can get wet,but you just don't want to soak them.Then rinse.
Dry what you can and let mother nature dry the rest,If you have a blower then you can dry the hard parts with that.Try not to clean your engine if you are planning on going somewhere soon after,then it just gets dirty again from the water that may be still on there.Small hint,Always wash the engine before you wash the car,then when you rinse the dirt off it goes on your dirty car,not your just washed car.
Also do your tires and wheels first before the car,for the same reason.
Hope this helps,