17. FACTS ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer!  The gentleman that fixes things around
the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over
to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter.  It was clean. (I always clean the
lint from the filter after every load clothes.)  He told us that he wanted to
show us something; he took the filter over to the sink, ran hot water over it. 
The  lint filter is made of a mesh material - I'm sure you know what your
dryer's lint filter looks like.  WELL...the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! 
It did not go through the filter at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a
film over that mesh & that's what  burns out the heating unit.  You can't SEE
the film, but it's there.  It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes
soft and static free - that nice fragrance too, you know how they can feel waxy
when you take them out of the box, well this stuff builds up on your clothes
and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to catch fire &
potentially burn your house down with it!  He said the best way to keep your dryer
working for a very long time (& to lower your electric bill) is to take that
filter out & wash it with hot soapy water & an old toothbrush (or other soft
bristled brush) at least every six months.  He said that makes the life of the
dryer at least twice as long!
Note:  I went to my dryer & tested my screen by running water on it. The water
ran thru a little bit, but mostly collected in the mesh screen.  I washed it
with warm soapy water & a nylon brush & had it done in 30 seconds.  Then when I
rinsed it, the water ran right thru the screen!   That repairman certainly knew
what he was talking about!