Fair Value (Fair Value And Carrying Value Of Debt Instruments) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 01, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Industrial revenue bonds, capital leases and other, Fair Value	$ 55,843	$ 55,334
Industrial revenue bonds, capital leases and other, Carrying Value	55,843	55,334
Total long-term debt, Fair Value	1,649,893	1,737,193
Total long-term debt, Carrying Value	1,611,338	1,653,582
Less current portion, Fair Value	447,155	348,799
Less current portion, Carrying Value	438,300	350,588
Long-term debt, less current portion, Fair Value	1,202,738	1,388,394
Long-term debt, less current portion, Carrying Value	1,173,038	1,302,994
5.75% Notes, Payable January 15, 2011 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Notes, Fair Value		296,459
Notes, Carrying Value		298,248
Interest rate percentage	5.75%
7.20% Senior Notes, Payable April 15, 2012 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Notes, Fair Value	393,855	422,400
Notes, Carrying Value	385,000	400,000
Interest rate percentage	7.20%
6.125% Notes, Payable January 15, 2016 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Notes, Fair Value	929,700	963,000
Notes, Carrying Value	900,000	900,000
Interest rate percentage	6.125%
Five Year Senior Secured Credit Facility, Due July 8, 2016 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Notes, Fair Value	270,495
Notes, Carrying Value	$ 270,495

Industrial revenue bonds capital leases and other carrying value.

Name:	mhk_IndustrialRevenueBondsCapitalLeasesAndOtherCarryingValue
Namespace Prefix:	mhk
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Industrial revenue bonds capital leases and other fair value.

+ Details

Name:	mhk_IndustrialRevenueBondsCapitalLeasesAndOtherFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	mhk
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Long term debt and capital lease obligations current fair value.

+ Details

Name:	mhk_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligationsCurrentFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	mhk
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Long term debt and capital lease obligations non current fair value.

+ Details

Name:	mhk_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligationsNonCurrentFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	mhk
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Sum of the carrying values as of the balance sheet date of all debt, including all short-term borrowings, long-term debt, and capital lease obligations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.13,16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Including current and noncurrent portions, aggregate carrying amount of long-term borrowings as of the balance sheet date before deducting unamortized discount or premiums (if any). May include notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt, which had initial maturities beyond one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name FASB Staff Position (FSP)

-Number APB14-1

-Paragraph 31

-Subparagraph b

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 20

-Article 5

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 16

-Article 9

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Interest rate stated in the contractual debt agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueBalanceSheetGroupingFinancialStatementCaptionsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Sum of the carrying values as of the balance sheet date of all long-term debt, which is debt initially having maturities due after one year from the balance sheet date or beyond the operating cycle, if longer, but excluding the portions thereof scheduled to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer plus capital lease obligations due to be paid more than one year after the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 6

-Section H

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Obligation related to long-term debt (excluding convertible debt) and capital leases, the portion which is due in one year or less in the future.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligationsCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the portion of the balance sheet assertion valued at fair value by the entity whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission. This item represents notes payable as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 129

-Paragraph 2, 4

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19, 20, 22

-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19,20,22)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NotesPayableFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant