I am really suprised by how unsafe clothes dryers are yet we use them every day and turn them on while we sleep. I usually would vacuum the area behind the lint collector and exhause pipe semi anually. I was drying some blankets and a dryer fin broke off and in preparing for the repair I noticed the rear felt insulation was pulled and twisted. I ordered the replacement parts and went to work repairing the unit. When I got the unit opened I vacuumed the entire unit out. What is really dangerious is just beyond where I vacuumed at the lint collector was a 90 degree bend that went to a ehaust fan and motor and it was 50% blocked by lint. I removed this and examined the exaust pipe which was completly clean. What a poor design where you can not get access to this area without removing the complete front of the dryer and the drum. Some engineer put 2 screws that hold the lint/exhaust setup inside the drum under the felt insulating seal.
If you have not done it recently clean your dryer from the lint tray to the exhaust. At the very least it will make it more energy efficient and may save you from a fire.
: :
: