Comparative studies on the efficiency of anchor molecules for the finishing of cotton with chitosan are presented. Four different anchors were used: cyanuric chloride (CNC), butane-1,2,3,4-tetracarboxylic acid (BTCA), glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and sodium hydroxydichlorotriazine (Na-HDCT). Two types of chitosan with different molecular weights were used. The type of anchor used for fixation of chitosan on cotton fabric had a distinct effect on the antimicrobial efficiency of chitosan. By using increasing the concentration of anchor chemicals, the ability of chitosan to inhibit the growth of bacteria increased. Using GPTMS as an anchor for chitosan improved the ion binding capacity for Cu2+-ions more than other anchors. The highest colour strength was achieved when using a low amount of anchors from the chlorotriazine system (up to K/S 3.3), whereas carboxylic or trialkoxysilane anchors at the same ratio of anchoring chemical to glucose units achieved comparatively low K/S values. The polyelectrolyte values of treated cotton fabric were also measured. SEM was used to investigate the surface morphology of the treated cotton fabric samples.