Two dicarboxylic acids were used to join with dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) as crosslinking agents to treated cotton fabrics. These results reveal that the dry crease recovery angle values of the treated fabrics for DMDHEU-maleic acid are higher than those for DMDHEU-tartaric acid at a given wet crease recovery angle and tensile strength retention. The IR spectra show that the reaction between the -OH of DMDHEU and cellulose and the vinyl groups of maleic acids occurred. The cross section of the DMDHEU-maleic acid and DMDHEU-tartaric acid treated fibers and the energies of activation and other data of reaction kinetics for DMDHEU-maleic acid and DMDHEU-tartaric acid strongly suggest that the reaction of vinyl groups of maleic acid with cellulose molecules can take place during the pad/dry-cure process. Additionally, the surface distribution of crosslinking agent on the finished fabrics for DMDHEU-maleic acid is slightly lower than that for DMDHEU-tartaric acid. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.