Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 20	$ 88
Cash flows from investing activities
Additions to property, plant and equipment	(14)	(9)
Acquisitions, net of cash required	(60)	0
Other investing activities, net	0	(1)
Return of advance from subsidiary	0
Total cash used in investing activities	(74)	(10)
Cash flows from financing activities
Net transfers to Ashland	0	(2)
Proceeds from borrowings, net of issuance costs of $1	44	75
Repayments on borrowings	(4)	(79)
Repurchase of common stock	(37)	0
Purchase of additional ownership in joint venture	(15)
Cash dividends paid	(15)	(10)
Other financing activities	(4)	0
Other intercompany activity, net	0	0
Total cash used in financing activities	(31)	(16)
Effect of currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1)	2
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(86)	64
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period	201	172
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period	115	236
Issuance costs	1
Reportable Legal Entities | Valvoline Inc. (Parent Issuer)
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	(2)	89
Cash flows from investing activities
Additions to property, plant and equipment	0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash required	0
Other investing activities, net		0
Return of advance from subsidiary	60
Total cash used in investing activities	60	0
Cash flows from financing activities
Net transfers to Ashland		(2)
Proceeds from borrowings, net of issuance costs of $1	0	0
Repayments on borrowings	(4)	(79)
Repurchase of common stock	(37)
Purchase of additional ownership in joint venture	0
Cash dividends paid	(15)	(10)
Other financing activities	(2)
Other intercompany activity, net	0	2
Total cash used in financing activities	(58)	(89)
Effect of currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	52	75
Cash flows from investing activities
Additions to property, plant and equipment	(13)	(9)
Acquisitions, net of cash required	(60)
Other investing activities, net		(1)
Return of advance from subsidiary	0
Total cash used in investing activities	(73)	(10)
Cash flows from financing activities
Net transfers to Ashland		0
Proceeds from borrowings, net of issuance costs of $1	0	0
Repayments on borrowings	0	0
Repurchase of common stock	0
Purchase of additional ownership in joint venture	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Other financing activities	0
Other intercompany activity, net	(60)	(2)
Total cash used in financing activities	(60)	(2)
Effect of currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(81)	63
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period	99	94
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period	18	157
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	(30)	(76)
Cash flows from investing activities
Additions to property, plant and equipment	(1)	0
Acquisitions, net of cash required	0
Other investing activities, net		0
Return of advance from subsidiary	0
Total cash used in investing activities	(1)	0
Cash flows from financing activities
Net transfers to Ashland		0
Proceeds from borrowings, net of issuance costs of $1	44	75
Repayments on borrowings	0	0
Repurchase of common stock	0
Purchase of additional ownership in joint venture	(15)
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Other financing activities	(2)
Other intercompany activity, net	0	0
Total cash used in financing activities	27	75
Effect of currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1)	2
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(5)	1
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period	102	78
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period	97	79
Eliminations
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0
Cash flows from investing activities
Additions to property, plant and equipment	0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash required	0
Other investing activities, net		0
Return of advance from subsidiary	(60)
Total cash used in investing activities	(60)	0
Cash flows from financing activities
Net transfers to Ashland		0
Proceeds from borrowings, net of issuance costs of $1	0	0
Repayments on borrowings	0	0
Repurchase of common stock	0
Purchase of additional ownership in joint venture	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Other financing activities	0
Other intercompany activity, net	60	0
Total cash used in financing activities	60	0
Effect of currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period	$ 0	$ 0