Can an old futon be used as mulch, or composted?

Has anyone used an old futon for mulch or tried composting it (not all at once but by adding it to a compost pile)? I live in eastern Pa.

I imagine that futon is just petroleum product.  I wouldn't want all that microplastic in my soil.

No, it feels and looks like cotton, just cotton.

No labels on it I assume. If it isn't  dyed it could be ok.

Susan Pierson wrote:No, it feels and looks like cotton, just cotton.

Try, carefully,  burning a small tuft of it just to be sure.  If there are any manmade fibers in there they will turn hard like plastic and smell.   I usually hold the fiber with tweezers at the sink with some water handy to dowse the flame.  Cotton should burn with only some soft ash left and unless treated with a fire retardant is not self extinguishing like wool.

The only thing I would worry about if it's cotton is any pesticide/herbicide residue from crop production or  a fire retardant if it's a commercial mattress.

Thanks, I'll check. I'm familiar with fibers and reasonable sure it's cotton but forgot about the pesticide issue. I just hate to see it go to the dump.

Susan Pierson wrote:Thanks, I'll check. I'm familiar with fibers and reasonable sure it's cotton but forgot about the pesticide issue. I just hate to see it go to the dump.

What about giving it to someone who raises dogs or some other animals that would like a cozy futon to hang out on? It would keep animals up off the cold ground in winter.

It was sitting in the barn on a concrete floor for a number of years, then rats got into a corner of it and so... the only thing to do is compost or throw out, although even after that, when I did start pulling the fibers apart, they looked nice and bright and clean.

Susan Pierson wrote: when I did start pulling the fibers apart, they looked nice and bright and clean.

Maybe then, the fibers would still be useful as stuffing for dog beds for a shelter then as Pearl mentions?

I used to know exactly what was used on cotton fields when I was weaving full time and handling a lot of 'natural' less processed cotton yarns. That was before I found organic cottons and hemp yarns.  Anyway, it was a lot of chemicals and not regulated so well because it was not food although I always wondered about the cotton seed meal that was fed to cattle?  

I wonder if it would be worth trying to compost in an isolated area away from your gardens and give it a few years to break down in the weather and with some added mushroom slurry, greens, etc?

I had an all-latex mattress topper that had torn and was no longer usable, and was breaking down. I read that latex is compostable - it's a plant product after all - and I sheet mulched with it, figuring it would eventually degrade. This was several years ago. A little while ago I noticed that part of my yard felt less-than-solid underfoot, and remembered the mattress topper. I realized it had not broken down. It looks the same as the rest of the yard: crabgrass. There's a nice accretion of soil above the latex, but upon digging I find the mattress topper looking the same as ever, just dirty. Digging up all that crabgrass to get it out is way too effortful for me to accomplish. Has anyone broken down a latex mattress topper? If not. will it be a problem to just leave it, other than making my ground a bit bouncy? Do you have an idea how to get it out of there?

A hoe will make quick work of crab grass if you can find the edges.

Ellen Lewis wrote:I had an all-latex mattress topper that had torn. ...

Digging up all that crabgrass to get it out is way too effortful for me to accomplish. ...

I read that latex is compostable - it's a plant product after all - and I sheet mulched with it, figuring it would eventually degrade. This was several years ago. A little while ago I noticed that part of my yard felt less-than-solid underfoot, and remembered the mattress topper. I realized it had not broken down. It looks the same as the rest of the yard: crabgrass. There's a nice accretion of soil ab than making my ground a bit bouncy? Do you have an idea how to get it out of there?

That mattress topper may have been synthetic latex since it has not broken down after several years.

If I found this in my yard, I would get it removed.  As L Johnson said, " A hoe will make quick work of crab grass if you can find the edges."

I would find the edges of that crabgrass as I would not want that stuff in my yard, especially if I had children.