Abstract: A method for operating a household appliance having at least one sensor for detecting a user of the household appliance includes evaluating a movement of the user sensed by the sensor; providing a switch-on signal to place the household appliance in a state of operational readiness if, in the evaluating step, the movement is recognized as an approaching movement relative to the household appliance that is sensed in a predetermined first sensing region; and outputting an activation signal to activate a control-movement recognition function of the household appliance using the switch-on signal if, in the evaluating step, the movement is recognized as an approaching movement relative to the household appliance that is sensed in a predetermined second sensing region.