Composting Upholstery Materials

[TeaTimeReader]

I have a new studio and it has a compost bin but I am a novice composter. Would I be able to add the natural waste products from upholstery such as horse hair (usually Edwardian/Victorian so old), feathers, hessian, coir, coloured linens/cottons as the brown matter? Has anyone done anything similar?

Are you making your own compost or do you mean the compost bin he council collects?
I sometimes put hair from the hairbrush in but it doesnt breaks down well.

How much of it would there be?

I would put all of that in my own bin. I've certainly composted old clothes (cotton and silk), an old doormat (coir).

It would be to make my own compost. The studio is in the garden of my home so the upholstery materials would be mixed in with kitchen waste etc. In terms of quantity I would have an almost unlimited supply so would have to be careful to not put too much in

Please don't compost horsehair. It's really hard to get hold of, sell it or offer it to upholsterers, they will bite your hand off. You can put it on a pillow case to wash it and reuse it. It's way better than modern stuffing.

I agree about the horsehair!

I would probably cut the other stuff up a bit before putting it in to speed things up a bit. but it should all compost down if it is a natural fibre. I assume you will be putting wetter plant stuff in there too.

I’m talking about the totally unsalvageable horse hair here. Whilst lots can be reused/repurposed.. there are times when it has come to the end of its useful life & has to go one way or another.

Thanks all

@TeaTimeReader

It would be to make my own compost. The studio is in the garden of my home so the upholstery materials would be mixed in with kitchen waste etc. In terms of quantity I would have an almost unlimited supply so would have to be careful to not put too much in

You'll be able to put more in during the summer than during the winter. Grass cuttings have their uses!

Oh - for those making compost for the first time - if the lawn has been treated with any selective weedkiller, "weed and feed" or similar, don't put grass cuttings on the compost heap in case there's residues of weed killer in it.