A facile method to fabricate superhydrophobic cotton fabrics

► The fabrication route of superhydrophobic cotton fabric is facile and novel. ► The cotton fabric surface with superhydrophobicity was obtained by a layer-by-layer self-assembly procedure. ► The wettability of cotton fabric surface has been transformed from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic. ► Superhydrophobic cotton surface showed an excellent stability after exposure, immersion and washing tests. ► The superhydrophobic method may contribute to accelerate the large-scale usage of cotton fabrics resource.