The invention relates to a preparation method of a hydrophobic oleophylic adsorbent by taking towel gourd cotton as a raw material. The preparation method comprises the following steps: 1, taking towel gourd cotton as a raw material, soaking, cleaning and drying the material; 2, immersing the material in an alkaline solution for pretreatment, then adjusting the material to be neutral with an acid,and carrying out cleaning and drying; 3, immersing the material subjected to alkali treatment into a mixed solution of tetraethyl silicate, absolute ethyl alcohol and pure water, then adding a properamount of ammonia water, and then cleaning and drying with ethyl alcohol; and 4, immersing the material in a mixed solution of hexadecyl trimethoxysilane and pure water, adding a proper amount of acetic acid, cleaning with ethanol, and drying to obtain the modified adsorption material. Compared with the prior art, the adsorbent can be widely applied to petroleum leakage treatment and oily wastewater treatment, and the oil absorption material obtained through modification is high in adsorption rate, low in cost, biodegradable and free of secondary environmental pollution.