2.0.0.10 false Consolidated Financial Information 1010 - Disclosure - Consolidated Financial Information true false false false 1 usd $ false false Shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDPerShare Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 2 Consolidated Financial Information 0 ecl_ConsolidatedFinancialInformationDisclosureAbstract ecl false na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false false false false 1 false false false false 0 0 false false false No definition available. false 3 Consolidated Financial Information 1 us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsDisclosureTextBlock us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false false false false false false false terselabel false 1 false false false false 0 0 <table style="font-size:10pt; font-family:'Times New Roman',times,serif;"> <tr> <td> 1.             Consolidated Financial Information   The unaudited consolidated financial information for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, reflect, in the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of Ecolab Inc. (the company) for the interim periods presented. The financial results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year. The consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2009 was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.  The unaudited consolidated financial information should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto incorporated in the companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009.   With respect to the unaudited financial information of the company for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 included in this Form 10-Q, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP reported that they have applied limited procedures in accordance with professional standards for a review of such information. Therefore, their separate report dated May 6, 2010 appearing herein, states that they did not audit and they do not express an opinion on that unaudited financial information. Accordingly, the degree of reliance on their report on such information should be restricted in light of the limited nature of the review procedures applied. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is not subject to the liability provisions of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Act) for their report on the unaudited financial information because that report is not a report or a part of a registration statement prepared or certified by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of the Act.</td></tr></table> 1.             Consolidated Financial Information   The unaudited consolidated financial false false false Description containing the entire organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Staff Position (FSP) -Number FAS140-4 and FIN46(R)-8 -Paragraph 8, C1, C7 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB) -Number 51 -Paragraph 2-6 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Number 94-6 -Paragraph 10 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 46R -Paragraph 4, 14, 15 false false 1 2 false UnKnown UnKnown UnKnown false true