The absorbance of liquids and compounds with various degrees of hydrophilicity into electrospun fabrics and conventional fabrics was measured. Electrospun cellulose and poly(lactic acid) fabrics had comparable fiber diameters and pore spacings between fibers. Woven cotton and polyester [poly(ethylene terephthalate)] fabrics had pore spacings between fibers 10-20 times larger than the electrospun fabrics. The absorbance of liquids and chemicals with various degrees of water/octanol solubility onto the hydrophobic [poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(lactic acid)] and hydrophilic (cellulose and cotton) fabrics was compared. Both the surface chemistry of the fibers and the pore size in the fabrics were found to affect the liquid uptake, with smaller pores and similar chemistry resulting in the greatest liquid absorbance. The absorbance of chemical Compounds also increased with decreasing fabric pore size, increasing surface-to-volume ratio, and compatible surface chemistry of the fabric. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.