REVENUES - Allowance for Expected Credit Losses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Allowance for doubtful accounts, returns and credits	$ 37.1	$ 20.4
Activity in the allowance for doubtful accounts
Beginning balance	52.8	68.4
Bad debt expense (a)	26.8	12.4
Write-offs	(12.8)	(23.7)
Other (b)	2.1	(1.1)
Ending balance (c)	$ 68.9	$ 56.0

Amount of other adjustments for expected credit loss on accounts receivable.

No definition available.

Name:	ecl_AccountsReceivableAllowanceForCreditLossOtherAdjustments
Namespace Prefix:	ecl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the portion of the allowance for doubtful accounts receivable representing the expected return of products shipped and credits related to pricing or quantities shipped.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ecl_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReturnsCredits
Namespace Prefix:	ecl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of allowance for credit loss on accounts receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255953&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123577603&loc=d3e5074-111524

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255953&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255206&loc=SL82895884-210446

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of direct write-downs of accounts receivable charged against the allowance.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of expense (reversal of expense) for expected credit loss on accounts receivable.

+ References

+ Details

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