Commitments and Contingencies (Details 3)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012 Claim
Product Liability Litigation-EDF
Product liability litigation
Estimated time commercial court may take to render decision, low end of range	6 months
Estimated time commercial court may take to render decision, high end of range	1 year
Number of lawsuits filed	1
Product Liability - Filters
Product liability litigation
Number of customers who obtained an order in the French Courts against SAS 3M Purification	1
Number of customers who filed a lawsuit against 3M Deutshland GmbH	1
Number of other customers the Company has resolved claims with	2

Estimated time commercial court may take to render decision, high end of range.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Estimated time commercial court may take to render decision, low end of range.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
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- Definition

Represents the number of other customers the Company has resolved claims with.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mmm_LossContingencyClaimsSettledNumber
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of customers who filed a lawsuit against 3M Deutshland GmbH.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mmm_LossContingencyCustomersWhoFiledALawsuitAgainst3MDeutshlandGmbHNumber
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the number of customers who obtained an order in the French Courts against SAS 3M Purification.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mmm_LossContingencyCustomersWhoObtainedAnOrderInTheFrenchCourtsAgainstSAS3MPurificationNumber
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The total number of new claims filed pertaining to a loss contingency during the period.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 5

-Paragraph 9, 10, 11, 12

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.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.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingencyNewClaimsFiledNumber
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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