Guarantor Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 4,357.7	$ 3,908.4	$ 7,742.2	$ 6,909.0
Cost of goods sold	(2,964.1)	(2,653.1)	(5,384.3)	(4,779.2)
Selling and administrative expenses	(753.3)	(697.7)	(1,474.2)	(1,357.2)
Operating income	640.3	557.6	883.7	772.6
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax		0.0	0.0	0.0
Interest expense	(50.3)	(54.1)	(123.2)	(108.1)
Intercompany interest and fees		0.0	0.0	0.0
Other income/(expense), net	(3.5)	(11.5)	(7.5)	(16.2)
Earnings before income taxes	586.5	492.0	753.0	648.3
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(128.0)	(138.1)	(161.0)	(166.8)
Earnings from continuing operations	458.5	353.9	592.0	481.5
Discontinued operations, net of tax	(5.9)	8.3	(15.3)	1.8
Net earnings	452.6	362.2	576.7	483.3
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(4.5)	(3.6)	(8.2)	(7.6)
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	448.1	358.6	568.5	475.7
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	(277.9)	176.2	(125.8)	296.8
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	170.2	534.8	442.7	772.5
IR Ireland [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Cost of goods sold		0.0	0.0	0.0
Selling and administrative expenses		(5.9)	(6.2)	(8.2)
Operating income	(4.5)	(5.9)	(6.2)	(8.2)
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax		371.2	585.0	496.1
Interest expense		0.0	0.0	0.0
Intercompany interest and fees		(7.3)	(9.5)	(13.1)
Other income/(expense), net		0.0	0.0	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	447.8	358.0	569.3	474.8
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		(0.6)	0.8	(0.9)
Earnings from continuing operations	448.1	358.6	568.5	475.7
Discontinued operations, net of tax		0.0	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	448.1	358.6	568.5	475.7
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests		0.0	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	448.1	358.6	568.5	475.7
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	(277.9)	176.2	(125.8)	296.8
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	170.2	534.8	442.7	772.5
IR Irish Holdings [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Cost of goods sold		0.0	0.0	0.0
Selling and administrative expenses		0.0	0.0	0.0
Operating income	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax		369.6	584.5	487.0
Interest expense		0.0	0.0	0.0
Intercompany interest and fees		0.0	0.0	0.0
Other income/(expense), net		0.0	0.0	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	461.0	369.6	584.5	487.0
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		0.0	0.0	0.0
Earnings from continuing operations	461.0	369.6	584.5	487.0
Discontinued operations, net of tax		0.0	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	461.0	369.6	584.5	487.0
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests		0.0	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	461.0	369.6	584.5	487.0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	(277.3)	175.8	(125.4)	296.1
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	183.7	545.4	459.1	783.1
IR Lux International [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues		0.0	0.0	0.0
Cost of goods sold		0.0	0.0	0.0
Selling and administrative expenses		(0.1)	(0.1)	(0.1)
Operating income	(0.1)	(0.1)	(0.1)	(0.1)
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax		348.5	479.0	442.4
Interest expense		0.0	0.0	0.0
Intercompany interest and fees		(10.0)	18.4	(23.5)
Other income/(expense), net		0.0	(0.2)	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	382.2	338.4	497.1	418.8
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		0.0	0.0	0.0
Earnings from continuing operations	381.9	338.4	497.1	418.8
Discontinued operations, net of tax		0.0	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	381.9	338.4	497.1	418.8
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests		0.0	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	381.9	338.4	497.1	418.8
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	(266.3)	161.0	(122.1)	275.9
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	115.6	499.4	375.0	694.7
IR Global [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues		0.0	0.0	0.0
Cost of goods sold		0.0	0.0	0.0
Selling and administrative expenses		0.0	(0.1)	(0.9)
Operating income	0.0	0.0	(0.1)	(0.9)
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax		277.1	491.0	300.1
Interest expense		(31.8)	(77.0)	(63.5)
Intercompany interest and fees		(43.7)	(78.3)	(86.4)
Other income/(expense), net		0.0	0.7	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	295.5	201.6	336.3	149.3
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		(27.5)	(35.5)	(54.9)
Earnings from continuing operations	313.3	229.1	371.8	204.2
Discontinued operations, net of tax		0.0	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	313.3	229.1	371.8	204.2
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests		0.0	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	313.3	229.1	371.8	204.2
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	(171.8)	136.3	(66.0)	214.3
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	141.5	365.4	305.8	418.5
IR New Jersey [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues		326.5	692.7	642.8
Cost of goods sold		(229.1)	(506.0)	(463.7)
Selling and administrative expenses		(101.1)	(262.6)	(222.4)
Operating income	(33.4)	(3.7)	(75.9)	(43.3)
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax		335.4	564.7	442.5
Interest expense		(11.9)	(23.6)	(23.8)
Intercompany interest and fees		(77.1)	15.3	(151.3)
Other income/(expense), net		0.4	(8.1)	(2.3)
Earnings before income taxes	361.3	243.1	472.4	221.8
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		(27.7)	(35.2)	(77.7)
Earnings from continuing operations	380.1	270.8	507.6	299.5
Discontinued operations, net of tax		6.2	(16.8)	0.4
Net earnings	372.6	277.0	490.8	299.9
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests		0.0	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	372.6	277.0	490.8	299.9
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	(171.6)	136.1	(66.4)	214.0
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	201.0	413.1	424.4	513.9
IR Lux Finance [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues		0.0	0.0	0.0
Cost of goods sold		0.0	0.0	0.0
Selling and administrative expenses		(0.1)	0.1	(0.2)
Operating income	0.1	(0.1)	0.1	(0.2)
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax		21.2	88.6	27.2
Interest expense		(10.1)	(22.4)	(20.4)
Intercompany interest and fees		(1.9)	(3.6)	(3.8)
Other income/(expense), net		0.0	0.1	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	36.5	9.1	62.8	2.8
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Earnings from continuing operations	36.5	9.1	62.8	2.8
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	36.5	9.1	62.8	2.8
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	36.5	9.1	62.8	2.8
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	(90.6)	24.1	(53.3)	60.2
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	(54.1)	33.2	9.5	63.0
Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues		3,669.5	7,252.1	6,447.3
Cost of goods sold		(2,511.6)	(5,080.9)	(4,496.6)
Selling and administrative expenses		(590.5)	(1,205.3)	(1,125.4)
Operating income	678.2	567.4	965.9	825.3
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax		0.0	0.0	0.0
Interest expense		(0.3)	(0.2)	(0.4)
Intercompany interest and fees		140.0	57.7	278.1
Other income/(expense), net		(11.9)	0.0	(13.9)
Earnings before income taxes	716.2	695.2	1,023.4	1,089.1
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		193.9	230.9	300.3
Earnings from continuing operations	551.6	501.3	792.5	788.8
Discontinued operations, net of tax		2.1	1.5	1.4
Net earnings	553.2	503.4	794.0	790.2
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests		(3.6)	(8.2)	(7.6)
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	548.7	499.8	785.8	782.6
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	(283.4)	178.4	(137.6)	296.5
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	265.3	678.2	648.2	1,079.1
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues		(87.6)	(202.6)	(181.1)
Cost of goods sold		87.6	202.6	181.1
Selling and administrative expenses		0.0	0.0	0.0
Operating income	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax		(1,723.0)	(2,792.8)	(2,195.3)
Interest expense		0.0	0.0	0.0
Intercompany interest and fees		0.0	0.0	0.0
Other income/(expense), net		0.0	0.0	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	(2,114.0)	(1,723.0)	(2,792.8)	(2,195.3)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		0.0	0.0	0.0
Earnings from continuing operations	(2,114.0)	(1,723.0)	(2,792.8)	(2,195.3)
Discontinued operations, net of tax		0.0	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	(2,114.0)	(1,723.0)	(2,792.8)	(2,195.3)
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests		0.0	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	(2,114.0)	(1,723.0)	(2,792.8)	(2,195.3)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	1,261.0	(811.7)	570.8	(1,357.0)
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	$ (853.0)	$ (2,534.7)	$ (2,222.0)	$ (3,552.3)