An ecological fabric having protection from ultraviolet radiation incorporated therein is disclosed in which the fabric is treated by a method comprising the steps of dissolving zinc acetate or other zinc salt in a liquid to form a solution containing Zn(II) ions, adding a fabric to the solution, mixing the solution and the fabric, and adding a base to the solution when the solution and the fabric are being mixed to form a suspension of zinc oxide nanoparticles in contact with the fabric. Other methods are disclosed such as modifying a fabric by carboxylation or phosphorylation of the fabric followed by binding of the UV-blocking nanoparticles to the modified fabric and modifying UV-blocking nanoparticles with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) or polymer layer containing an active chemical group capable of binding to the fabric and depositing the UV-blocking nanoparticles on the fabric.