Method for treating items of laundry in a washing machine , which has an outer tub , a drum mounted rotatably about an essentially horizontal axis in the outer tub for receiving the items of laundry and a control facility , wherein the method contains the following steps: a) introducing an open or closed container containing a laundry treatment agent to a lower region of the drum ; b) filling an aqueous liquid into the outer tub in a quantity W which is sufficient for the liquid level h in the drum to have a predetermined minimum value h min , wherein in step b) the predetermined minimum value h min is selected so that at least the drum comes into contact with the aqueous liquid or a recirculation is enabled with a recirculation system, wherein the amount of aqueous liquid contained in the recirculation system is sufficient to guide the liquid pumped out of the outer tub via a recirculation line back into the outer tub and to bring the liquid available in the outer tub in the circuit into contact with the items of laundry in the drum , characterised by the further step: (c) moving the aqueous liquid during a predetermined time frame t set > 1 min, in which the drum is moved so that no rotation of the drum about an angle α ≥ 180° takes place, wherein in step (c) the movement of the aqueous liquid is generated by the movement of the drum which carries along the liquid during the movement, and/or (d) moving the aqueous liquid during a predetermined time frame t set > 1 min, in which the drum is in a rest state or is moved so that no rotation of the drum about an angle α ≥ 180° takes place, wherein in step (d) the movement of the aqueous liquid is generated by operating the recirculation system, which has the recirculation line and a recirculation pump which serves to convey the aqueous liquid . a) introducing an open or closed container containing a laundry treatment agent to a lower region of the drum ; b) filling an aqueous liquid into the outer tub in a quantity W which is sufficient for the liquid level h in the drum to have a predetermined minimum value h min , wherein in step b) the predetermined minimum value h min is selected so that at least the drum comes into contact with the aqueous liquid or a recirculation is enabled with a recirculation system, wherein the amount of aqueous liquid contained in the recirculation system is sufficient to guide the liquid pumped out of the outer tub via a recirculation line back into the outer tub and to bring the liquid available in the outer tub in the circuit into contact with the items of laundry in the drum , (c) moving the aqueous liquid during a predetermined time frame t set > 1 min, in which the drum is moved so that no rotation of the drum about an angle α ≥ 180° takes place, wherein in step (c) the movement of the aqueous liquid is generated by the movement of the drum which carries along the liquid during the movement, and/or (d) moving the aqueous liquid during a predetermined time frame t set > 1 min, in which the drum is in a rest state or is moved so that no rotation of the drum about an angle α ≥ 180° takes place, wherein in step (d) the movement of the aqueous liquid is generated by operating the recirculation system, which has the recirculation line and a recirculation pump which serves to convey the aqueous liquid . <EOS>