How to Wash Grip Socks (Without Killing the Grip)
By the Curve MCR team, Manchester · Updated 25 August 2026
The short answer: machine wash at 30 degrees, inside out, with similar colours. Air dry flat. No tumble dryer, no bleach, no fabric softener, and never iron the grip. Follow that and a quality pair stays grippy for hundreds of wears; ignore it and even the best sock loses its sole in a couple of months.
The two things that kill grip socks
Grip socks die in one of two ways, and your washing machine is behind both.
Heat. The grip on the sole is silicone, bonded to the knit. Silicone itself tolerates heat, but the bond doesn't love it, and repeated hot washes and tumble drying cause the grip to peel, crack or detach one dot or line at a time. This is the single most common reason a pair that felt brilliant in week one slides by month two. Cold or 30-degree washes and air drying avoid it entirely.
Coating. Fabric softener works by leaving a lubricating film on fibres. Leave that film on a grip sole and you've waxed the very surface that's supposed to hold you to the reformer. Softener also clogs the breathable knit, so the sock runs hotter. Skip it completely - a cotton-rich knit comes out soft anyway.
The routine that works
Turn them inside out (protects the grip from rubbing against zips and the drum, and washes the side that touches your skin), pop them in with similar colours at 30 degrees, then air dry flat. Drying flat rather than hanging keeps the cuff from stretching under the weight of a wet sock. They're light; they dry overnight.
If you want to be extra careful, a mesh wash bag adds protection, but inside out in a normal load is honestly enough for ours.
How often should you wash them?
After every class. Grip socks sit directly against sweating feet on shared equipment - this is not the garment to re-wear. Which leads to the practical point: if you train two or three times a week, one pair can't keep up with an air-dry routine. That's the real case for a small rotation, and why we price three for £30 - wash day never leaves you without a pair.
When to retire a pair
Three signs: the grip pattern has visibly smoothed or pieces have gone, the heel or toe is going translucent, or the cuff no longer stays up. Any of those and the sock has stopped doing its job on the reformer, whatever it still looks like from the top. A well-made pair washed properly should give you months of weekly wear before any of this - the extra-yarn knit in our grip socks is chosen precisely so the fabric outlives cheap-sock timelines.
Replacing a pair? The sizing guide covers how a fresh pair should fit, and if you're new to the reformer, here's whether you need grip socks at all.
Frequently asked
Can you tumble dry grip socks?
No. Tumble drying is the fastest way to degrade the silicone grip's bond to the sock. Air dry flat - they're light and dry overnight.
Why did my grip socks stop gripping?
Usually one of three things: heat damage from hot washes or the dryer, a film left by fabric softener, or plain wear. Wash cold, skip softener, and check the sole - if the pattern has smoothed, it's time to replace them.
Can I bleach white grip socks?
No - bleach attacks both the elastane in the knit and the grip bond. For whites, a 30-degree wash with a gentle detergent is the safe route.
How many wears do grip socks last?
Washed properly, a quality pair lasts months of weekly classes; a rotation of three shares the load and lasts far longer per pair. Thin pairs with dot grips typically fade first.
Should I wash new grip socks before wearing?
It's good practice for anything worn barefoot, yes - one 30-degree inside-out wash and they're class-ready.