A laundry treating appliance includes a wash basket defining a treating chamber, having a clothes mover in the treating chamber to agitate the clothes during a cycle of operation for cleaning. A method of operating the laundry treating appliance can include supplying a wash liquid to the treating chamber and rotating the clothes mover within the treating chamber with an electric motor operating at a first duty cycle to define a high duty cycle wash phase and at a second duty cycle to define a low duty cycle wash phase after the first duty cycle.