How to extend the life of your dryer.

Many of us have complained about our appliances. "They just do not last as long as the one my Grandmother had".  I hear that all of the time.  Why is that?  So many things have changed since grandma's day.  I really think I do more laundry than my grandmother did.  We are spoiled. At my house, we use a towel once.  One video about the nasties found on a towel after use made that happen.
   So many of us have purchased the new High Efficiency washer and dryer sets that the old "sudsy" laundry detergent is a relic at the store.. Rare and difficult to find.  Most of us paid way too much for these appliances to risk shoddy care.
  One of the biggest culprits for the dryer mortality rate is fabric softener.  That sounds completely ridiculous right?  A few years ago, I read an article about lint screens. (I know, I read way to much.) It said that we all know to clean out our lint screen after each load. We all yell at our kids for not doing it, citing that the dryer will overheat.  I am a fanatic about cleaning the lint screen and always have been. My parents did it, I do it.  It's the cycle of life.
   Then I read the article. It was saying that your dryer overheats and the heating element wears out even if you are scooping the lint out after every load.  The problem is invisible. It is fabric softener in the wash and fabric softener sheets.  The article said that it "coats" the lint screen in the same way lint does and it interrupts the flow of air.  Whoever wrote the article knew I would be skeptical, because they went on to say that I should take my lint screen to the sink and turn on the water. The water would not flow thru the screen.  "Right" I think to myself, but I take the screen to the sink. 
     Water did not flow. Now, in theory, this makes sense. Surface tension, combined with something a bit gooey and viola... But it was still very surprising to me.  So, the moral of the story is that I now take my screen to the sink occassionally and scrub it with soap and water until water flows freely.  The article claims this will double the life of my dryer.  I'm beginning year two with this new dryer and I will continue to pamper it as I paid way too much for it to take it for granted.