The invention is related to mild pretreatment or preparation process as well as combined scoring and bleaching composition for cellulose-based textile material. The process comprises a sequential or simultaneous scouring step with an enzyme composition acting on the non-cellulosic material on outer layers of cellulosic fibers and a reducing bleaching step with a reducing bleaching agent. The reducing bleaching agent is preferably dithionite. In the process no adjustment of pH and temperature are required. The process is environmentally friendly because no causticizing and oxidizing agents are required to achieve the desired lightness and wettability. Due to the mild pretreatment conditions tensile strength of the fabric is better than that achieved with conventional pretreatments.
