Dryer lint screens and vents are not the same care task
Cleaning the screen is important. It is not a substitute for a safe, correctly maintained dryer exhaust arrangement.
The lint screen is routine care; the vent system is a different job
ENERGY STAR recommends cleaning the lint filter after every load. Use your model’s instructions for removing, cleaning and correctly replacing it. Do not run the dryer with a missing or damaged filter.
The screen does not collect everything, so a clean screen does not establish that the exhaust path is clear. The U.S. Fire Administration identifies failure to clean as an important factor in clothes-dryer fires.
Keep observations, not a fault diagnosis
Longer drying times, unusual heat or an unfamiliar smell are reasons to stop and consult the care guide or service provider. They do not prove that a particular part has failed. Do not repeat loads to test a suspected overheating problem.
Do not turn vent care into an improvised repair
This page does not instruct you to move a heavy or stacked dryer, disconnect a gas appliance, climb to an outside vent or insert improvised equipment into ducting. Arrange qualified vent or appliance service when those tasks are needed. A heat-pump or condenser dryer can have a different user-care arrangement; follow that machine’s manual rather than treating every dryer as a vented model.
Keep a short service-call record with the model, changed drying time and the circumstances you already observed.
Two care jobs, different boundaries
Lint screen: Follow the exact removal, cleaning and refitting instructions after each load. A missing or damaged screen is not ready for use.
Exhaust arrangement: A clean screen does not establish that the exhaust is clear. Unsafe access, duct work, gas disconnection or moving a stacked machine needs qualified help.
Different dryer type: Heat-pump and condenser equipment may have a different user-care arrangement. Do not copy a vented-dryer routine onto it.
Sources and limits
This is an editorial summary of the guidance below, not a report of hands-on testing. Your exact model’s manual takes precedence for care procedures.