The invention provides a belt tension acquisition based washing machine control method and a washing machine. The control method includes: allowing a control system to control a motor to operate, andacquiring a cloth amount pulse of the motor; acquiring the belt tension corresponding to the cloth amount pulse according to a pulse-tension relation database; and comparing the belt tension and a belt tension threshold so as to allow the control system to send a control signal for changing a belt or adjusting an operation parameter of the washing machine according to the comparison result. According to the above determination steps, the washing machine can detect the belt tension, a belt change prompt or operation parameter adjustment can be completed under insufficient tension so as to ensure the fact that the cleaning effect of the washing machine will not be lowered.