Washing machine control method including an outer tub and an inner tub containing clothes rotatably disposed therein. The method includes detecting an amount of dry clothes, supplying water between the outer and inner tub such that the clothes are not wetted, discharging water from the outer tub to a circulation channel and introducing water into the inner tub through the circulation channel to wet the clothes, discharging unabsorbed water collected in the outer tub to the circulation channel such that a water level in the outer tub becomes zero while detecting a flow rate of water, and determining an amount of circulation water discharged to the circulation channel based on the flow rate detected until a water level in the outer tub becomes zero and determining properties of the clothes based on the amount of circulation water and a predetermined anticipated amount of circulation water corresponding to the amount of dry clothes detected.