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In this paper, diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge plasma at atmospheric pressure has been used for surface modification of polyester/cotton (PESc) fabric, which was subsequently modified by sol–gel process using suitable organofunctional silanes to enhance its hydrophobicity. Modified PESc fabric surfaces were conditioned during the gelling process to obtain the permanent hydrophobicity. The contact angle of water before washing of plasma and sol–gel pretreated PESc fabric was found to be 154° and 151° after standardized washings. It was also demonstrated that the process is applicable at the industrial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]