Rude to tell someone not to walk on freshly washed floor?

[snowdragon]

 So I was virtuous today and got down on hands and knees and gave the floor and walls a  proper scrubbing, worthy of my great grandma.  It took me 2.5 hours to just do the kitchen and just as I was finishing up that room my aunt who live less than a mile a way stopped on the way home from somewhere to use the bathroom.  Aunt tried to walk in the house with her snowy boots on and I told her I had just washed the floor to take them off. Aunt's reply was "you'll just have to wipe up after me" . When I refused to move out of her way to allow her to walk on the floor with boots on - she got indignant and told me that I was rude for "Putting the floor before me" and stormed out.
  This aunt has many times walked around our house in stocking feet, so that is not the issue.  I am put out that she thought I should have to re-wash the floor because she could not take her boots off...she would have in any of her sister's homes, she is put out that I wouldn't allow her to wear her snowy boots on my freshly washed floor.
    She wants an apology for my being "rude" to her.

[Outdoor Girl]

If she were my aunt, she'd be waiting a long time.

My housekeeping skills are minimal, at best.  Most of the time, I tell people to leave their shoes on.  But even I draw the line at snowy boots!  And if I'd just washed the floor?  Don't even think about stepping on that floor with snowy boots on.

[cicero]

i say: let her stew.

she is being ridiculous.

I wash my floors once a week - nobody walks on the floor until it's dry, otherwise it streaks. DS know that in an emergecny he can wear socks and dash into the bathroom, but otherwise you wait.

[stitchygreyanonymouse]

Wait, your aunt stopped by unannounced, less than a mile from home, to use the bathroom? And she calls you rude? Never mind the rest of the episode.

If she were mine, she’d be waiting for eternity for an apology about the shoe thing. If it weren’t rude to point out rudeness, I’d be requesting an apology for the unexpected drop by and verbal abuse.

[LeveeWoman]

Wait, your aunt stopped by unannounced, less than a mile from home, to use the bathroom? And she calls you rude? Never mind the rest of the episode.

If she were mine, she’d be waiting for eternity for an apology about the shoe thing. If it weren’t rude to point out rudeness, I’d be requesting an apology for the unexpected drop by and verbal abuse.

It sounds as if she wanted to mark snowdragon's house in two ways.

[MrTango]

Wait, your aunt stopped by unannounced, less than a mile from home, to use the bathroom? And she calls you rude? Never mind the rest of the episode.

If she were mine, she’d be waiting for eternity for an apology about the shoe thing. If it weren’t rude to point out rudeness, I’d be requesting an apology for the unexpected drop by and verbal abuse.

It sounds as if she wanted to mark snowdragon's house in two ways.

*snert*

No.  Even more broadly, if someone makes a decision that they do not want shoes worn in their home, then it is rude to insist on wearing shoes in their home.  This is especially true in this case, as the aunt's shoes were covered in snow.

[MorgnsGrl]

I don't think you were rude at all! I think *she* was rude for thinking it was reasonable for her to walk her filthy boots all over your freshly washed floor.

[TootsNYC]

If you wanted her to take her boots off OUTSIDE, on the snowy back porch, I would say you were rude, and that you should have let her inside so she could stand just inside the door to take them off. And she should have stopped right inside the door to take them off while you got her a stool or chair to sit on while she did it.

I only say this because you wrote, "When I refused to move out of her way to allow her to walk on the floor with boots on..."

If, however, you have a transition area where she could be out of the snow and cold to take her boots off, then you weren't rude. I'm sure she didn't want to step in the snow from her own boots, so offering her a towel or rug to stand on would have been hospitable of you.

[camlan]

I'll start by admitting that I'm a shoes-on in the house type of person.

However, I would never wear snowy (or wet or muddy or dirty) boots into someone's home, not even my own. Messy footwear of any type gets removed at the door.

And just washed floors that are still wet? Those don't get walked on unless absolutely necessary.

So I think the OP's aunt failed on two counts. And the OP was not rude.

[snowdragon]

If you wanted her to take her boots off OUTSIDE, on the snowy back porch, I would say you were rude, and that you should have let her inside so she could stand just inside the door to take them off. And she should have stopped right inside the door to take them off while you got her a stool or chair to sit on while she did it.

I only say this because you wrote, "When I refused to move out of her way to allow her to walk on the floor with boots on..."

If, however, you have a transition area where she could be out of the snow and cold to take her boots off, then you weren't rude. I'm sure she didn't want to step in the snow from her own boots, so offering her a towel or rug to stand on would have been hospitable of you.

She was in the heated garage on a carpeted welcome mat - same place everyone takes their boots off.

[TootsNYC]

then you are not rude.

[Iris]

     She wants an apology for my being "rude" to her.

And I want to live in a castle with David Tennant. What's her point?

[TootsNYC]

you know what's so rude? Her saying, 'you'll just have to clean up after me."

I can think of tons of things I'd have said.

Like, "I'll help you clean up, but I gotta go right now, I can't wait, that's why I stopped, I'm sorry." While I danced in the doorway.

Or even "It's not that much, it's just water," or "my boots aren't really dirty" (questionable truth, of course--but still not the same breathtaking arrogance as "you'll have to clean up after me")

[perpetua]

If she lives less than a mile away and had to stop at yours to use the bathroom, any chance she didn't have time to take off her boots?

[TootsNYC]

I wondered that as well, but she didn't say so. I sure would have!