Are You Killing Your Clothes Dryer with Fabric Softener Sheets?

And now in a total departure from her usual concerns, Lindy Lou talks about her lint filter, fabric softener sheets, and waxy build-up.
I have been informed that I am almost certainly shortening the life of my clothes dryer by clogging up the lint filter with no, not lint, that would be too obvious, but WAX. Yes, but not obvious wax, invisible wax; the kind of waxy substance you feel on fabric softener sheets when you take them out of the box. (Yes! You have to take them out of the box! Duh.) In an attempt to make clothes soft, fragrant and static free, I/you have been allowing a film to build up on my/your lint screen because of fabric softener sheets. This can cause the dryer heating unit to burn down my/your house.

Let's get serious here for a second and test the truth of this assertion. (Put down your adult beverage so you don't spill.)

1. Take your lint filter out of your clothesdryer, preferably NOT during a drying cycle.
2. Remove the lint from the filter. (I'm waiting. It's taking you forever. For gawd's sake, how long has it been since you've cleaned that thing? You've got a whole sweater in there! Do you know some people make art projects out of their lint? Look it up.)
3. Take your clean lint filter over to the sink and place under the faucet.
4. Turn on the water and watch what happens.
5. Note that the water pools on top of the mesh and does not pour through it. (Unless you're Heloise and you already know about this earth shaking lint filter phenomenon.)
6. Accept it: Your lint filter is clogged! We'll keep this our little secret, don't worry.
7. Wash your lint filter in hot soapy water, scrubbing with a nylon brush. Nylon as opposed to what? Steel? (Tip: Don't use steel. )
8. Place your scrubbed lint filter under faucet.
9. Turn on the water and watch what happens now.
10. Note that the water is pouring straight through the mesh. Your lint filter is no longer filtering out water! Which is good, it's not supposed to be a water filter, it's supposed to be a lint filter!
11. Try not to cry with relief.
12. Sorry this is not a 12 step program and tthere are no meetings where you have to admit you're a Dryer Filter Clogger.

Okay, homemakers, what have we learned here?

1. You, perhaps innocently, perhaps not, through the use of fabric softener sheets in your clothes dryer, have been increasing the likelihood that your dryer heating unit will burn out early and possibly endanger your family, your house, and the neighborhood at large.
2. You do not have to stop using fabric softener sheets in your clothes dryer.
3. You do need to scrub your lint filter a couple of times a year (that would be every six months approximately, check your calendar).
4. Lindy Lou has saved your linty...but, I digress.

   Free, extra, bonus fabric softener sheet tip: Keep mosquitoes away by placing a fabric softener sheet in your pocket. The mosquitoes will not bother you. Ok so you don't have a pocket, stick it in your bra.