Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended																					6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014 Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 HGI [Member] Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Spectrum Brands [Member] Term Loan Due September 4, 2017 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Spectrum Brands [Member] Term Loan Due September 4, 2017 [Member]	Dec. 18, 2013 Spectrum Brands [Member] Term Loan Due September 4, 2017 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Spectrum Brands [Member] Term Loan Due September 4, 2017 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Spectrum Brands [Member] ABL Facility, expiring May 24, 2017 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Spectrum Brands [Member] ABL Facility, expiring May 24, 2017 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Spectrum Brands [Member] Six Point Three Seven Five Senior Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Spectrum Brands [Member] Six Point Three Seven Five Senior Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Spectrum Brands [Member] 6.625% Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Spectrum Brands [Member] 6.625% Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Spectrum Brands [Member] Letter of Credit [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 FGL [Member] 6.375% Senior Notes, Due April 1, 2021 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 FGL [Member] 6.375% Senior Notes, Due April 1, 2021 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 EXCO/HGI JV [Member] EXCO/HGI Partnership Credit Agreement [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 EXCO/HGI JV [Member] EXO/HGI Partnership Credit Agreement, due February 14, 2018 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 EXCO/HGI JV [Member] EXO/HGI Partnership Credit Agreement, due February 14, 2018 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 EXCO/HGI JV [Member] EXO/HGI Partnership Credit Agreement, due February 14, 2018 [Member] EXCO/HGI Partnership Credit Agreement [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] Secured Borrowings Related to non-qualifying participating loan interests [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Salus Capital Partners L L C [Member] Secured Borrowings Related to non-qualifying participating loan interests [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Euro Member Countries, Euro Spectrum Brands [Member] Euro Term Loan, Due September 4, 2019 [Member]	Dec. 18, 2013 Euro Member Countries, Euro Spectrum Brands [Member] Euro Term Loan, Due September 4, 2019 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Euro Member Countries, Euro Spectrum Brands [Member] Euro Term Loan, Due September 4, 2019 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 United States of America, Dollars Spectrum Brands [Member] Term Loan Due December 17, 2019 [Member]	Dec. 18, 2013 United States of America, Dollars Spectrum Brands [Member] Term Loan Due December 17, 2019 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 United States of America, Dollars Spectrum Brands [Member] Term Loan Due December 17, 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate							7.75%	3.60%	3.60%		3.60%	2.50%	5.70%	6.40%	6.40%	6.60%	6.60%		6.40%	0.00%		2.70%	0.00%		11.00%	0.00%	3.80%		0.00%			4.60%
Debt Instrument Issue Price As Percentage Of Principle Amount							100.00%
Other assets	$ 408,500,000		$ 408,500,000		$ 281,600,000	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Interest Expense	77,200,000	75,700,000	161,200,000	218,800,000					1.9
Document Period End Date			Mar. 31, 2014
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity																					400,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding, Partnership																					337,000,000
Debt Instrument Discount Rate										0.125%
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount										0.5
Amortization of debt discount			1,300,000	500,000					0.1
Debt Issuance Cost								0.6	7.1
Long-term Debt	5,405,200,000		5,405,200,000		4,909,700,000		200,000,000	513,700,000	513,700,000	215,000,000	300,000,000	167,500,000	0	520,000,000	520,000,000	570,000,000	570,000,000		300,000,000	300,000,000					100,000,000	0	309,200,000	225,000,000	0		513,300,000	513,300,000
Write off of Deferred Debt Issuance Cost																														9.2
Letter of credit outstanding																		49.9
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding																							271,200,000	250,600,000
Asset-based loans	795,700,000		795,700,000		560,400,000
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity												123.9
Debt Amount Reserve By Lender												$ 8.6