clean fresh air with gas comes in on the intake valve side, they have gas constantly cleaning them off and cooling them. Burnt fuel and air go out the exhaust side, so all the products of internal combustion are going out the exhaust side and the heat too. Not much worry about the intake valves getting too dirty due to the fact they have gas and cold air shooting across them, well that is until all the auto manufactures switch to direct injection spark ignition systems, then god save us all.