Sodium hypophosphite (SHP) is widely used as an effective catalyst for the esterification reaction of cellulose with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA). However, catalysts containing phosphorus cause significant shade changes in dyed fabrics because of their reductive nature, and the effluents containing phosphorus cause eutrophication in rivers and lakes. Hence, their commercial application as catalysts in textile processing is limited. In this study sodium propionate and its catalytic activities as a nonphosphorous catalyst were investigated. The evidence for esterification and crosslinking of cellulose with BTCA in the presence of sodium propionate was shown by an improved wrinkle recovery angle and durable press rating of treated fabrics. The presence of ester groups in the treated fabrics was confirmed by FTIR analysis. The performance of sodium propionate as a catalyst for BTCA was comparable to that of SHP.