Yes, machine washing is absolutely fine. Use a cold wash at 30°C or below, turn them inside out first, and always wash your white socks with whites. Skip the fabric softener and that's all you need.

With proper care, cold wash, inside out, air dried, your Drippy Grippys will maintain their grip and structure through many sessions. Players using them multiple times per week and following these rules have used them for multiple seasons.

The most likely cause is a hot wash or fabric softener. Both coat or break down the grip pads over time. Fabric softener in particular leaves a film that reduces traction and builds up gradually, so you might not notice it immediately.

We'd strongly advise against it, even once. The heat from a dryer, even on a low setting, is significantly higher than a cold wash and can begin to soften and deform the grip pads. They won't fall apart after one spin but it starts the damage. Air drying takes a few hours and protects performance long term.

Any everyday laundry detergent is fine. Just avoid anything with built-in fabric softener or bleaching agents. If your white socks have picked up grass or mud stains, a standard non-bio detergent at 30°C will usually do the job.