<p>Textile wastewater is a significant environmental pollutant, containing elevated levels of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), color, and turbidity. This laboratory-scale study investigates the optimization of voltage and retention time (RT) parameters for enhanced textile wastewater treatment using electrocoagulation (EC) with stainless-steel (SS) electrodes. The research addresses the limited understanding of voltage–retention time interactions and develops theoretical frameworks for predicting removal efficiency based on electrochemical principles. Experimental trials were conducted at voltages of 30, 40, and 50 V with retention times of 1, 2, and 4 h using real industrial textile wastewater. Under optimal laboratory conditions of 50 V and 4-h retention time, pollutant reductions of 73.92% COD, 91.67% TSS, 92.86% color, and 75.0% turbidity were achieved. Economic analysis indicated specific electrical energy consumptions of 0.41–1.00&#xa0;kWh&#xa0;m⁻³ and total operating costs of 0.32–0.55&#xa0;USD&#xa0;m⁻³ of treated wastewater under laboratory-scale conditions. The study introduces logarithmic mathematical models correlating removal efficiency with operational parameters, though validation across diverse wastewater matrices remains necessary. While laboratory results demonstrate competitive performance compared to conventional EC approaches, the economic feasibility and technical performance require validation through pilot-scale studies before industrial implementation. The research contributes to EC knowledge by providing systematic optimization data for SS electrodes and establishing preliminary theoretical frameworks, though broader applicability requires further investigation across varied industrial conditions and wastewater compositions.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>