Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibrous mat can be easily prepared via electrospinning its aqueous solution. However, the obtained nanofibrous mat is instantaneously dissolved in water. Therefore, rendering the environmentally friendly nanofibrous mat water insoluble by cross-linking mechanism is of great interest. The electrospun PVA nanofibrous mat with an average fiber diameter of ca. 400 nm could be effectively cross-linked by glutaraldehyde vapor at room temperature. The cross-linking not only resulted in a water-insoluble nanofibrous mat but also generated an excess amount of unreacted aldehyde functional groups that could reduce silver salts into silver nanoparticles. The in situ formed silver nanoparticles along the fibrous surface showed excellent antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli. The vapor cross-linked nanofibrous mat shows a high potential to be used for efficiently capturing and killing pathogenic bacteria.