Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements (Details 4) (USD $) In Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010 Investment Grade Fixed Income Securities [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 US Dollar-Linked, Devaluation-Protected Bonds Issued By Venezuelan Government [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 US Dollar-Linked, Devaluation-Protected Bonds Issued By Venezuelan Government [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Fair value		$ 132	$ 233
Venezuelan Investments [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance			96	46
Unrealized gain (loss) on investment			60	(19)
Purchases and sales during the period			77	23
Ending balance			233	50
Unrealized gain on investment	$ 62

This element represents purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements (net) which have taken place during the period in relation to assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis using observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.

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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents total unrealized gains or losses for the period, arising from assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis using observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.

+ Details

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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents an asset measured at fair value using observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data which is required for reconciliation purposes of beginning and ending balances.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	cl
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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Venezuelan Investments [Roll Forward]

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total of debt securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading which are intended be sold or mature more than one year from the balance sheet date or operating cycle, if longer. Such securities are reported at fair value; unrealized gains and losses of such securities are excluded from earnings and included in other comprehensive income, a separate component of shareholders' equity, unless the Available-for-sale Security is designated as a hedge or is determined to have had an other than temporary decline in fair value below its amortized cost basis. All or a portion of the unrealized holding gain or loss of an Available-for-sale Security that is designated as being hedged in a fair value hedge shall be recognized in earnings during the period of the hedge, as should other than temporary declines in fair value below costs basis.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 133

-Paragraph 22

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 115

-Paragraph 17

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 115

-Paragraph 12

-Subparagraph b

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 115

-Paragraph 13

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 115

-Paragraph 16

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the gross unrealized gains for securities which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities. Such gross unrealized gains are the excess of the fair value of the Available-for-sale Securities over their carrying value as of the reporting date. Such gross unrealized gains are included in other comprehensive income in the statement of shareholders' equity, unless the Available-for-sale Security is designated as a hedge. All or a portion of the unrealized holding gain of an available-for-sale security that is designated as being hedged in a fair value hedge shall be recognized in earnings during the period of the hedge.

+ References

+ Details

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- 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.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration