Clothes dryer lint filter: Cool Tool or Death Trap?

I got the following forwarded email from a friend:

I had a wonderful morning: the heating unit went out on my dryer!  The guy that fixes things went in to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter.  It was clean.  We always clean the lint from the filter after every load of clothes.>He told us that he wanted to show us something.  He took the filter over to the sink, ran hot water over it.  Now, 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 didn't go through it at all!!!  He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh and that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film but it's there.  This is what causes dryer units to catch fire and can potentially start a fire in your house.
He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (& to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out & wash it with hot soapy water & an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months.  He said that makes the life of the dryer, at least twice as long! 
How about that???!!!!  Learn something new everyday! 

Note: I went to my dryer & tested my screen by running water on it.  The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water & a nylon brush & I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it the water ran right through the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all!  That repairman knew what he was talking about!
PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR ADDRESSBOOK.
NOT ONLY COULD IT SAVE SOMEONE'S HOME BUT IT COULD SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE!!

Seeing that this would be fairly easy to do….to see if I was living on-the-edge,  I decided to check my lint filter out.  I had replaced it a couple years ago so it’s not too old.  The water went right through the filter with no build up.   We use Bounce dryer sheets, so I don’t know what to conclude from this experiment.   Just thought I’d pass it along. 
Who knows…. It could save your life.

Thanks Mickie