In this study, we evaluated the effect of ultraviolet/ozone treatments for different times on the characteristics of wool fabrics with respect to wettability, permeability, yellowness index, and weight loss. The beneficial effects of this treatment on dyeability, color parameters, light fastness characteristics, and the change in color difference after exposure of the treated dyed samples to artificial daylight for about 150 h was investigated. The results indicated that the improvement in wetting processes may have been due to to surface modifications; this meant that an increase in the amorphousity of the treated samples, the oxidation of the cystine linkage on the surface of the fabrics, and the formation of free-radical species encouraged dye penetration and aggregation inside the fiber pores as well as bond formation. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.