It’s the festive season and that means more home entertaining and people who are a bit tipsy. Your sheepskin is looking gorgeous draped over the sofa or on the floor, but with the red wine being liberally poured and imbibed all around, it's more susceptible to accidental spillages.

So what to do when someone spills red wine on your sheepskin rug?

Well, the good news is sheepskin fleece is naturally stain resistant due to a protective coating on its wool fibres so will try to repel liquids.

However the fleece can’t hold off a large glass of liquid all on its own, especially in a concentrated area, so here’s a handy guide with our top tips on what to do:

1. Act quickly to contain the stain
Wherever possible, try to treat the red wine spillage as soon as it occurs. Move fast to blot up as much liquid as possible to stop it spreading further.

2. Rinse with cold water
Try to rinse as much of away as you can, using cold water or lukewarm mixed with a little wool shampoo, washing up liquid, mild soap or baby shampoo.

3. Blot don’t rub
Keep blotting the stain to lift it. Avoid the temptation to rub it furiously as this can damage the wool fibres. Using a clean white cloth - to better see the red wine being taken out - gently blot at the stain, moving from the outside edges inwards.

4. Rest, then repeat
Let the affected area of the rug - and your arms! - rest for a little bit, then keep repeating until the red wine stain has disappeared. Then get another clean cloth and blot the area dry.

5. Try the washing machine
If the stain is stubborn and the above does not shift it, you can wash your sheepskin in the machine if you put it on a gentle, cold water cycle with non-enzyme detergent like wool wash. For large stains or those already dry, pre-treat the area by soaking in cold water and wool wash beforehand.

6. Dry and brush
After washing, lay your sheepskin flat to air dry. Never use a tumble dryer and avoid drying direct sunlight or next to an intense heat source as this can shrink the backing. We also recommend giving it a good brushing with one of our slicker brushes to restore your sheepskin’s original fluffy appearance.

So with the stain successfully slayed, you probably deserve a glass of red wine to celebrate... Just be careful not to spill it on your sheepskin!