Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Earnings Per Share Reconciliation [Abstract]
Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company, Basic	$ 726	$ 542	$ 1,842	$ 1,552
Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company, Diluted	$ 726	$ 542	$ 1,842	$ 1,552
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted [Abstract]
Basic EPS (in shares)	900,100,000	913,800,000	904,100,000	916,400,000
Stock options and restricted stock (in shares)	6,800,000	9,000,000	7,700,000	9,300,000
Diluted EPS (in shares)	906,900,000	922,800,000	911,800,000	925,700,000
Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share, Basic	$ 0.81	$ 0.59	$ 2.04	$ 1.69
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	$ 0.80	$ 0.59	$ 2.02	$ 1.68
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	4,389,790	1,369,775	3,515,898	484,913