"Mukena" is a praying set for muslimah (muslim women) which covers all but the face and palms and is worn especially for praying (shalah). As a praying set it must always be clean and comfortable too. In relation to the latter, cotton fabric is usually the first choice of material for this particular clothing. There are certain parts that frequently get wet by traces of water left on the face and hands of the wearer after she takes ablution, especially those that are in contact with the face. This condition favors the growth of mildew or fungus on the fabric which creates an unpleasant look and may reduce the strength of the material if left for longer time (people does not normally wash this particular clothing every day). In this study, we used benzoic acid in combination with a crosslinking agent, dimethylol dihydroxy ethylene urea (DMDHEU), to inhibit fungal growth on the fabric and to improve its crease-resistance respectively. The best result was obtained when using 60 g/l DMDHEU and 0.05% benzoic acid. The crease recovery angle (CRA) of such treated fabric is 141.5° and it does not lose its strength significantly on two-weeks burial test. For comparison, untreated fabric loses 90% of its strength after the burial.(Anita Anathasia, Anita Ris Herliana, Dian Rosdiana, Elsa Dewi Sulastri)
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