During the festive period you’ll enjoy more visitors coming into your home. But with all the guests and merriment there is also an increased risk of damage to your home and furnishings. Your home insurance should protect you financially from accidental damage in your home, however it may not protect you against accidents like spillages.

Christmas is an especially popular time for red wine, mulled with spices and toasty warm. Whilst warm red wine is a wonderful drink to share with friends on a cold winter night, you might find it’s not so forgiving on your furniture. Red wine can leave unsightly stains on carpets or sofas, especially if the stain is not dealt with quickly.

If you do spill red wine, there are few things you can do to minimise the damage:

> Act quickly before the stain dries

> Do not rub the stain; this will only push the stain further into the fabric

> Use a professional upholstery cleaner; follow the instructions carefully and only use one product at a time

If you can’t remove the stain, you may find that your furniture has been damaged forever. Whilst you may want to savour the happy memories of an evening with friends, you may not want to always have a reminder of it on your family sofa or in the middle of the living room carpet. With many home insurance policies you’ll only receive compensation if the damage isn’t your fault (such as damage caused by a storm or burglary). Unfortunately a spillage of red wine is seen as avoidable, and will therefore not usually be covered under your home insurance policy. However, some home insurance policies include accidental damage cover – often as an optional extra – that will protect you against these kind of accidents. It’s worth checking with your provider to see if you’re covered.

Depending on how bad the damage is, the solution might involve using a professional cleaner to remove the stain, or even replacing the item entirely. A professional cleaner will hopefully be able to remove the stain, and restore your soft furnishings to their former glory. You might be able to pull a quick trick and simply turn a sofa cushion over so the stain is hidden, or you may have to replace it entirely. Neither of these options are preferable, so it’s best to avoid damage from red wine in the first place – especially as you may not be covered for spillages on your home insurance.

About John Lewis Insurance:

Since Greenbee launched four years ago, we’ve provided insurance with the same high standards of service and value for money that you’d expect from John Lewis, so we’ve decided to change our name to John Lewis Insurance. As we evolve, we’ll continue to offer our customers exceptional products and service.

We believe that everything we do should be straightforward, great value and come with an extra level of service that’s always reassuring. Which is why our Home Insurance includes accidental damage as standard. And faithful friends will be pleased to know that our Pet Insurance includes older dogs.

We all know that it makes a lot of sense to buy the important things from someone you trust. In fact, you’ll find that all the products and services offered from John Lewis Insurance are exactly what you would expect from the John Lewis Partnership.

Author Bio: John Lewis Insurance offers a range of insurance services selected by the John Lewis Partnership. These include car, life, travel, wedding, event, pet, home and content insurance products.

Category: Finances
Keywords: contents insurance, home contents insurance, building and contents insurance, household insurance