Cotton fabric was modified with a 1,3,5-triazine derivative containing the multireactive and multicationic groups, 2,4,6-tri[(2-hydroxy-3-trimethyl-ammonium)-propyl]-1,3,5-triazine chloride (Tri-HTAC). Compared with unmodified cellulose, the net-modified cotton cellulose has different dyeing properties. The modified cotton was dyed with reactive dyes without the addition of salt. The color yield was higher than that on unmodified cotton, despite the addition of large amounts of salt in the latter case. After dyeing, compared with unmodified cellulose with reactive dyes, the reflectance spectrums of modified cotton did not change. The modified cotton got better wash fastness than the unmodified cotton. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.