In multi-story buildings across cities, elevator buttons allow people to choose their floors with a simple press.
These buttons were once wiped regularly with a soft cloth and cleaning solution. This upkeep removed fingerprints and surface dirt built up from daily use.
Such wiping no longer takes place. The buttons receive no cloth or cleaning solution.
The buttons stay mounted on the elevator control panels. They light up and respond to presses, enabling floor selection as people travel up and down.
The system operates amid this gap, where surface cleaning of elevator buttons is absent, though the pressing action continues.