This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of enzymatic pretreatment of cotton (polysaccharides) fibers on the properties of resulting nonwoven fabric. Enzymatic treatment is known to improve the esthetical properties of fabrics but will likely lead to a reduction in strength. In the case of nonwovens the strength loss can be even more drastic as cellulase may attack bonded areas of the fabric. In this work, raw and bleached cotton fibers were treated with enzyme solutions prior to fabric formation to avoid possible damage to the bonded areas and improve strength retention. These fibers were first modified with commercially available whole cellulases and monocomponent endoglucanase enzyme solutions. Then they were formed into a fabric and bonded via hydroentangling. Parameters such as bending modulus, fabric tenacity, fiber strength, length and reducing power were measured for each sample. The pretreatment of cotton fibers prior to fabric formation showed that the resulting nonwovens could be stronger and more drapeable than the same fabric composed of untreated fibers. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.