In a method for operating a washing machine with a drum, a drive motor for the drum, a power supply for the drive motor and a washing machine control monitoring and detecting the motor current by means of the power supply, the following steps are performed where the motor current is constantly monitored while the drum rotates for at least three full revolutions. A full revolution of the drum is divided into three rotation sections of equal size, and the motor current is monitored and recorded for each of the rotation sections. An envelope curve of this motor current is calculated, and therefrom the standard deviation (σ) is calculated. The standard deviation (σ) is divided by the mean value (µ) of the envelope curve to determine the coefficient of variation (CV) for each rotation section. By comparing the determined coefficient of variation (CV) for each rotation section with stored values for the coefficient of variation, the behaviour of the laundry items is determined as to whether laundry items slide down the drum inner wall, fall from the drum inner wall or rotate together with the drum. From this behaviour, parameters are determined for a further operation of the washing machine with regard to the treatment of the laundry items.