Patent ID: 8863559

Claim:
A method for washing laundry items in a program controlled domestic laundry-care appliance, the method comprising: heating washing liquid present in a drum to a washing liquid temperature in accordance with a washing program using a heating unit within the appliance and controlled by a programmed controller operatively associated with the appliance; setting a wash temperature limit value using the programmed controller, the wash temperature limit value being a function of a temperature gradient value across free washing liquid in the drum and washing liquid bound by the laundry items based on captured parameter values, the captured parameter values being determined by a sensor system operatively associated with the appliance and, the captured parameter values being specific to the laundry items and/or the appliance; determining an energy input required to achieve the wash temperature limit value based on the captured parameter values; distributing the energy input to the heating unit over different phases of the wash program by achieving predetermined temperature peaks; and applying energy to the heating unit before the washing liquid temperature drops below a lower temperature limit value.