Well I've finally gotten sick with looking at my ugly engine bay everytime i pop the hood and im wondering what works best for cleaning everything. I'm not sure whether this is better off in the off topic forum but i just want to know what works best for everyone w/o paying the 50+ dollars to get it done at the local carwash.

just get soem engien degreaser, that will work wonders

procedures on www.se-r.net

If its really bad, it might be worth swinging by a garage to get the engine steam cleaned to give you a head start and spare your driveway from too much crud, especially if grease-dirt is thick on the under side. Common shops may charge around $60. Specialist may charge up to $150.