During the study, two indigenous Ethiopian medicinal plants, namely R. prinoides and C. macrostachyus, were applied into gauze cotton fabric by pad-cure-dry method, using citric acid as a crosslinker. Various extract concentrations (3%, 5%, and 10%) were applied to fabric to assess their bacterial efficiency against S. aureus and E. coli. After 48 h, treated fabrics exhibited a release of 73.3%, 75.9%, and 81.8% for R. prinoides leaf extract and 58.3%, 66.1%, and 77.8% for C. macrostachyus extract treated with 3%, 5%, and 10% concentrations, respectively. Furthermore, the plant extract treated fabrics showed an improvement in water absorbency and fabric stiffness. Generally, an increase in the concentration of plant leaf extract leads to enhanced antibacterial properties, water absorption, and softness.