The present subject matter provides a hinge for an appliance. The upper layer-forming composition is stably maintained without being eluted in a medium such as water during liquid immersion lithography and is easily dissolved in an alkaline developer. The apparatus is equipped with a polarization estimator for estimating the polarization state of a signal which is received from the one other device, and a polarization controller for adapting the polarization state of signals transmitted from the apparatus to the one other device on the basis of the estimate of the received signal. A second drive shaft is arranged to rotatingly drive the agitator. Methods for pretreating and cleaning laundry and nontextile surfaces are also presented.