Abstract: Cellulosic materials such as cotton fabrics and paper are crosslinked with a composition comprising (A) polymers of ethylenically unsaturated polycarboxylic acid monomers or salts thereof, the monomers having one or more dicarboxylic groups wherein the carboxyl groups are on adjacent carbon atoms; (B) saturated .alpha.-hydroxypolycarboxylic acids or salts thereof; and (C) one or more curing catalysts, and heated to produce esterification and crosslinking of the celluose by reaction of the cellulosic hydroxyl groups with carboxyl groups in the reaction product of (A) and (B).