Supporting football has contributed to half of these stains, leaving home furnishings dangerously at risk as we approach the football World Cup.
According to Santander Insurance UK research, for some spills, professional cleaners had to be brought in to sort out the mess at an average cost of £155 a spill, while others have paid out around £355 to replace the carpet or upholstery.
On average, 44 per cent of food and drink stains were permanent with the majority of these marks (43 per cent) still visible. Other sports to top the league of armchair spillages were rugby, motor racing, cricket and boxing.
Tea and coffee were named more likely to spoil than red wine, while greasy fish and chips were considered more likely to cause a permanent mark than spaghetti bolognaise. For the Scottish contingent, Irn Bru also made the top ten, while most football fans may be despondent to hear that beer and lager did not fare much better, also making it into the table.
Nigel Lay from Cleaning Doctor commented: "We deal with a large number of stains and while most people think red wine is the biggest culprit, tea and coffee, especially without milk, can be a real terror to get out. Due to the dissimilar characteristics of various fibres, spillages and stains react in different ways. When tackling stains, the first step is to identify the nature of the stain, and to ensure the use of the most appropriate spotting agent for the spill."
Colin Greenhill, head of Santander Insurance UK said: "I would advise people to try and not get too excited during the World Cup to avoid damaging their home furnishings, but I doubt anyone would listen. Instead, all I can suggest is that people make sure they have the peace of mind that their home insurance will cover them in case of an irreparable accident."
Loading ...