Zinc oxide consumption has increased in today's world. It is one of the most popular nanoparticles with photocatalytic activity under light illumination utilized in different industries, especially in textiles and polymers. Lately, textiles and polymers with new features have been produced through utilization of ZnO nanoparticles to create photocatalytic characteristics, UV absorption, self-cleaning, and antimicrobial properties. Various approaches have been introduced to synthesize and apply nanoparticles on the textile and polymer surfaces such as cotton, polyester, wool, and others. This review presents diverse aspects of nano zinc oxide application in textile and polymer industry and approaches used for in situ and ex situ synthesis and application of nano zinc oxide on different textiles and polymers. This also brings a brief overview on the several studies accomplished in this area.