Cotton fabrics were dyed with reactive, direct, and basic dyes by sol-gel process and exhausting process. As to this aim, the solutions of reactive, direct, and basic dyes were prepared by sol-gel process and then cotton fabrics were treated at 80 degrees C for 10 min with these solutions and dried at 120 degrees C for 20 min. Dyeing solutions contained tetraethyl orthosilicate and 3-glycidoxypropyl-trimethoxysilane as precursor, ethanol and water as solvent for sol-gel process. The wash fastness, light fastness, rubbing fastness and the degree of leaching, the light fading value, and dyeing yield of dyeings were evaluated. Moreover, the effect on dyeing yield, fastnesses, leaching, and fading properties of adding of sodium acetate trihydrate in dyeing solutions for sol-gel process was firstly studied. It was found that the dyeing yield of dyed cotton fabrics with the direct dyes significantly improved with using sol-gel process with adding sodium acetate trihydrate in comparison with exhausting process. The color fastness values to washing and to light of the basic dyeing increased with using sol-gel process without adding sodium acetate trihydrate in comparison with exhausting process. The degree of leaching of dyed fabrics with the basic and reactive dyes decreased with using sol-gel process with adding sodium acetate trihydrate in comparison with exhausting process. The light fading value of dyed cotton fabrics with the basic and direct dyes after 120 h irridation decreased with using sol-gel process with adding sodium acetate trihydrate in comparison with exhausting process. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.