Recently I had the plastic tube that leads from the dryer to the outside replaced by a metal pipe. I learned the lint is caught by the bumpy bits that make the plastic extendable whereas the metal pipe does not collect lint as fast. Not cheap but worth the peace of mind. Another plus is that a commercial AC company can use the high pressure air blower to clean out the metal pipe but it cannot be used with the plastic because the high volume air shreds the plastic! Also the plastic deteriorates over time making it more unreliable, I'm told
wow