Abstract: A method to clean an article or an object wherein the surface of the article or object to be cleaned (i) is in contact with one or more liquids having a dielectric constant of from 1 to 200, and is (ii) placed in an electric field in the range of 103 V/m to a value limited by the stability of the liquid in the field generated using an alternating voltage/current source.

Abstract: A liquid-in-stem thermometer comprising a stem and/or an envelope having a capillary bore extending along the length of the stem/envelopes, a bulb disposed at one end of the stem/envelope and in fluid communication with the said bore, a junction region between the capillary and the bulb adapted for maximum registration action, a thermometric liquid provided in the bulb, the said thermometric liquid being an aqueous solution of one or more solutes and substantially free of dissolved gases, at least the inner surface of the capillary bore of said stem/envelope having low surface energy characteristics, wherein the surface tension of the thermometric liquid is greater than the surface energy of the said low surface energy material by a factor of at least two.