Arpit wrote:

Is it ok to hose a bike to clean it?

Yes, but use a low pressure garden hose and try not to concentrate
the stream at the hubs, bottom bracket or steerer tube.

A shimano team mechanic I was talking with a few years ago said
that he only ever used a bucket, a small amount of dishwashing
detergent and a large soft brush (like a dustpan brush).
The point was that he washed and serviced the team bikes after
*every* ride, so the dirt was never caked on to a point that it
had to be blasted off

Al.