This invention is directed to an improvement in binders particularly suited for use in preparing nonwoven products and to the nonwoven products. The improved binders comprise a blend of emulsion polymerized ethylene-vinyl chloride (EVCl) polymer and an emulsion polymerized self crosslinkable vinyl acetate-ethylene-N-methylolacrylamide (VAE-NMA) polymer. The blends of the EVCl polymer emulsion and the VAE-NMA polymer emulsion can be applied to cellulose and cellulose/synthetic nonwoven substrates and cured in the absence of an acid catalyst to provide a self-sustaining web having excellent wet strength performance. The blends of EVCl and VAE-NMA polymers do not require an acid catalyst to facilitate cure.