1.0.0.3 false Statement Of Financial Position Classified (USD $) In Millions false 1 $ false false iso4217_USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 iso4217_USD_per_shares Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares 0 shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares 0 false 2 $ false false iso4217_USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 iso4217_USD_per_shares Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares 0 shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares 0 6 Current Assets 4 us-gaap_AssetsCurrentAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 7 Cash and cash equivalents 5 us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 798000000 798 false false 2 true true 364000000 364 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 8 Accounts receivable, net 5 us-gaap_ReceivablesNetCurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2566000000 2566 false false 2 false true 2492000000 2492 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 9 Inventories 5 us-gaap_InventoryNet us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2033000000 2033 false false 2 false true 2493000000 2493 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 10 Deferred income taxes 5 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetCurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 136000000 136 false false 2 false true 131000000 131 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 11 Time deposits 5 us-gaap_TimeDepositsAtCarryingValue us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 189000000 189 false false 2 false true 141000000 141 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 12 Other current assets 5 us-gaap_OtherAssetsCurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 142000000 142 false false 2 false true 192000000 192 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 13 Total Current Assets 5 us-gaap_AssetsCurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 5864000000 5864 false false 2 false true 5813000000 5813 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 14 Property, Plant and Equipment, net 4 us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 8033000000 8033 false false 2 false true 7667000000 7667 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 15 Investments in Equity Companies 4 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 355000000 355 false false 2 false true 324000000 324 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 16 Goodwill 4 us-gaap_Goodwill us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 3275000000 3275 false false 2 false true 2743000000 2743 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 17 Long-Term Notes Receivable 4 us-gaap_NotesAndLoansReceivableNetNoncurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 607000000 607 false false 2 false true 603000000 603 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 18 Other Assets 4 us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1075000000 1075 false false 2 false true 939000000 939 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 19 Assets, Total 4 us-gaap_Assets us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 19209000000 19209 false false 2 false true 18089000000 18089 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 21 Current Liabilities 4 us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrentAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 22 Debt payable within one year 5 us-gaap_DebtCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 610000000 610 false false 2 false true 1083000000 1083 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 23 Trade accounts payable 5 us-gaap_AccountsPayableTradeCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1920000000 1920 false false 2 false true 1603000000 1603 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 24 Accrued expenses 5 us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2064000000 2064 false false 2 false true 1723000000 1723 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 25 Accrued income taxes 5 us-gaap_AccruedIncomeTaxesCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 79000000 79 false false 2 false true 103000000 103 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 26 Dividends payable 5 us-gaap_DividendsPayableCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 250000000 250 false false 2 false true 240000000 240 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 27 Total Current Liabilities 5 us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 4923000000 4923 false false 2 false true 4752000000 4752 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 28 Long-Term Debt 4 us-gaap_LongTermNotesAndLoans us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 4792000000 4792 false false 2 false true 4882000000 4882 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 29 Noncurrent Employee Benefits 4 us-gaap_PensionAndOtherPostretirementDefinedBenefitPlansLiabilitiesNoncurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1989000000 1989 false false 2 false true 2593000000 2593 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 30 Long-Term Income Taxes Payable 4 us-gaap_AccruedIncomeTaxesNoncurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 168000000 168 false false 2 false true 189000000 189 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 31 Deferred Income Taxes 4 us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesNoncurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 377000000 377 false false 2 false true 193000000 193 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 32 Other Liabilities 4 us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesNoncurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 218000000 218 false false 2 false true 187000000 187 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 33 Redeemable Preferred and Common Securities of Subsidiaries 4 kmb_RedeemablePreferredAndCommonSecuritiesOfSubsidiaries kmb false credit instant monetary Aggregate carrying amount, as of the balance sheet date, of third-party investments in voting preferred and common securities... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1052000000 1052 false false 2 false true 1032000000 1032 false false Aggregate carrying amount, as of the balance sheet date, of third-party investments in voting preferred and common securities issued by subsidiaries of the Corporation. No authoritative reference available. false 35 Kimberly-Clark Corporation Stockholders' Equity: 5 us-gaap_StockholdersEquityAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 36 Preferred stock-no par value-authorized 20.0 million shares, none issued 6 us-gaap_PreferredStockValue us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 0 0 false false 2 false true 0 0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 37 Common stock-$1.25 par value-authorized 1.2 billion shares; issued 478.6 million shares at December 31, 2009 and 2008 6 us-gaap_CommonStockValue us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 598000000 598 false false 2 false true 598000000 598 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 38 Additional paid-in capital 6 us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapitalCommonStock us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 399000000 399 false false 2 false true 486000000 486 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 39 Common stock held in treasury, at cost-61.6 million and 65.0 million shares at December 31, 2009 and 2008 6 us-gaap_TreasuryStockValue us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -4087000000 -4087 false false 2 false true -4285000000 -4285 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 40 Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 6 us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -1833000000 -1833 false false 2 false true -2386000000 -2386 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 41 Retained earnings 6 us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 10329000000 10329 false false 2 false true 9465000000 9465 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 42 Total Kimberly-Clark Corporation Stockholders' Equity 6 us-gaap_StockholdersEquity us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 5406000000 5406 false false 2 false true 3878000000 3878 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 43 Noncontrolling interests 5 us-gaap_MinorityInterest us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 284000000 284 false false 2 false true 383000000 383 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 44 Total Stockholders' Equity 5 us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 5690000000 5690 false false 2 false true 4261000000 4261 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 45 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity, Total 4 us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 19209000000 19209 false false 2 true true 18089000000 18089 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true false 2 38 false Millions UnKnown UnKnown false true