Segment Information - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($) segment	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of product segments (in segments)	2
Number of reportable segments (in segments)	5
Number of operating segments (in segments)	5
Sales Revenue, Net
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Percentage of consolidated Net sales represented by sales outside US	70.00%
Percentage of consolidated Net sales coming from emerging markets	50.00%
Global Growth and Efficiency Program
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Global Growth and Efficiency Program charges, pretax \| $	$ 29	$ 28
Global Growth and Efficiency Program \| Corporate \| Included in Operating profit (loss)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Global Growth and Efficiency Program charges, pretax \| $	$ 28	$ 24

Number of Product Segments

No definition available.

Name:	cl_NumberofProductSegments
Namespace Prefix:	cl_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of Consolidated Net Sales coming from Emerging Markets

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cl_PercentageofConsolidatedNetSalescomingfromEmergingMarkets
Namespace Prefix:	cl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of Consolidated Net Sales represented by Sales outside US

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cl_PercentageofConsolidatedNetSalesrepresentedbySalesoutsideUS
Namespace Prefix:	cl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Discloses the amount charged against the accrued restructuring reserves, or earnings if not previously accrued, during the period for the specified type of restructuring cost.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 420
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394359&loc=d3e17939-110869

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 420
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 5.P.4(b)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115931487&loc=d3e140904-122747

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 420
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394359&loc=d3e17939-110869

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 420
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 5.P.4(d))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115931487&loc=d3e140904-122747

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis=us-gaap_SalesRevenueNetMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringPlanAxis=cl_GlobalGrowthandEfficiencyProgramMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLossMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: