Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015		Sep. 30, 2015		Jun. 30, 2015		Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Sep. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2014		Mar. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Quarterly financial data (Unaudited) [Abstract]
Net sales	$ 3,899		$ 3,999		$ 4,066		$ 4,070		$ 4,221		$ 4,379		$ 4,352		$ 4,325		$ 16,034		$ 17,277		$ 17,420
Gross profit	2,293	[1]	2,347	[2]	2,367	[3]	2,392	[4]	2,475	[5]	2,558	[6]	2,552	[7]	2,524	[8]	9,399	[9]	10,109	[10]	10,201
Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interests	(421)	[11]	770	[12]	616	[13]	583	[14]	666	[15]	580	[16]	661	[17]	432	[18]	1,548	[19]	2,339	[20]	2,410
Net income (loss) attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company	$ (458)	[11]	$ 726	[12]	$ 574	[13]	$ 542	[14]	$ 628	[15]	$ 542	[16]	$ 622	[17]	$ 388	[18]	$ 1,384	[19]	$ 2,180	[20]	$ 2,241
Earnings (loss) per common share:
Basic EPS (in dollars per share)	$ (0.51)	[11]	$ 0.81	[12]	$ 0.63	[13]	$ 0.60	[14]	$ 0.69	[15]	$ 0.59	[16]	$ 0.68	[17]	$ 0.42	[18]	$ 1.53	[19]	$ 2.38	[20]	$ 2.41
Diluted EPS (in dollars per share)	$ (0.51)	[11],[21]	$ 0.80	[12]	$ 0.63	[13]	$ 0.59	[14]	$ 0.68	[15]	$ 0.59	[16]	$ 0.67	[17]	$ 0.42	[18]	$ 1.52	[19]	$ 2.36	[20]	$ 2.38
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Charge for a Foreign Tax Matter					$ 15						$ 66						$ 15		$ 66
Charges for Foreign Competition Law Matters	$ 14								$ 30		11						14		41		$ 23
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	6.6
CP Venezuela [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Aftertax Charge for Venezuela Accounting Change	$ 1,058																1,058
Aftertax Remeasurement Charge			$ 12		10						40				$ 174		22		214		111
MEXICO
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Pretax costs related to sale of land in Mexico																	0		4		18
Aftertax costs related to sale of land in Mexico											1		$ 1		1		0		3		12
Europe/South Pacific [Member] | Home Care Member
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Aftertax Gain on Sale of South Pacific laundry detergent business			120														120
Cost of Sales [Member] | MEXICO
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Pretax costs related to sale of land in Mexico											1		2		1				4
2012 Restructuring Program
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Pretax charges related to the Restructuring Program																	254		286		371
Aftertax charges related to the Restructuring Program	41		35		40		$ 67		41		41		53		73		183		208		278
2012 Restructuring Program | Gross Profit [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Pretax charges related to the Restructuring Program	$ 9		$ 3		$ 4		$ 4		$ 6		$ 7		$ 6		$ 10		$ 20		$ 29		$ 32

[1] Gross profit for the fourth quarter of 2015 includes $9 of charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program.

[2] Gross profit for the third quarter of 2015 includes $3 of charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program.

[3] Gross profit for the second quarter of 2015 includes $4 of charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program.

[4] Gross profit for the first quarter of 2015 includes $4 of charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program.

[5] Gross profit for the fourth quarter of 2014 includes $6 of charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program

[6] Gross profit for the third quarter of 2014 includes $7 of charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program and $1 of costs related to the sale of land in Mexico.

[7] Gross profit for the second quarter of 2014 includes $6 of charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program and $2 of costs related to the sale of land in Mexico.

[8] Gross profit for the first quarter of 2014 includes $10 of charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program and $1 of costs related to the sale of land in Mexico.

[9] Gross profit for the full year of 2015 includes $20 of charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program.

[10] Gross profit for the full year of 2014 includes $29 of charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program and $4 of costs related to the sale of land in Mexico.

[11] Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interests, Net income (loss) attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings (loss) per common share for the fourth quarter of 2015 include a $1,058 aftertax charge related to the change in accounting for the Company’s Venezuelan operations, $41 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program and a $14 charge for a foreign competition law matter.

[12] Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interests, Net income (loss) attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings (loss) per common share for the third quarter of 2015 include $35 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program, a $12 aftertax charge related to the remeasurement of CP Venezuela’s local currency-denominated net monetary assets as a result of an effective devaluation and a $120 aftertax gain on sale of the Company’s laundry detergent business in the South Pacific.

[13] Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interests, Net income (loss) attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings (loss) per common share for the second quarter of 2015 include $40 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program, $10 of aftertax charges related to the remeasurement of CP Venezuela’s local currency-denominated net monetary assets as a result of an effective devaluation and a $15 charge for a foreign tax matter

[14] Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interests, Net income (loss) attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings (loss) per common share for the first quarter of 2015 include $67 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program.

[15] Net income including noncontrolling interests, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings per common share for the fourth quarter of 2014 include $41 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program and a $30 charge for a foreign competition law matter.

[16] Net income including noncontrolling interests, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings per common share for the third quarter of 2014 include $41 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program, $40 of aftertax charges related to the remeasurement of CP Venezuela’s local currency-denominated net monetary assets as a result of an effective devaluation, an $11 charge for a foreign competition law matter, $1 of aftertax costs related to the sale of land in Mexico and a $66 charge for a foreign tax matter.

[17] Net income including noncontrolling interests, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings per common share for the second quarter of 2014 include $53 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program and $1 of aftertax costs related to the sale of land in Mexico.

[18] Net income including noncontrolling interests, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings per common share for the first quarter of 2014 include $73 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program, a $174 aftertax charge related to the remeasurement of CP Venezuela’s local currency-denominated net monetary assets as a result of an effective devaluation and $1 of aftertax costs related to the sale of land in Mexico.

[19] Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interests, Net income (loss) attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings (loss) per common share for the full year of 2015 include a $1,058 aftertax charge related to the change in accounting for the Company’s Venezuelan operations, $183 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program, $22 of aftertax charges related to the remeasurement of CP Venezuela’s local currency-denominated net monetary assets as a result of effective devaluations, a $120 aftertax gain on the sale of the Company’s laundry detergent business in the South Pacific, a $15 charge for a foreign tax matter and a $14 aftertax charge related to a foreign competition law matter.

[20] Net income including noncontrolling interests, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings per common share for the full year of 2014 include $208 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program, $214 of aftertax charges related to the remeasurement of CP Venezuela’s local currency-denominated net monetary assets as a result of effective devaluations, $41 of charges for a foreign competition law matter, $3 of aftertax costs related to the sale of land in Mexico and a $66 charge for a foreign tax matter.

[21] The computation for Diluted (loss) per common share for the fourth quarter of 2015 excludes 6.6 million of incremental common shares outstanding during the period as they are anti-dilutive.