Name:	mmm_LossContingencyAmountDueToPotentialProductDefect
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

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

No definition available.

Name:	mmm_LossContingencyCustomersWhoObtainedOrderInFrenchCourtsAgainst3MPurificationSASNumber
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

This element represents the number of lawsuits that are petitioned to transfer jurisdictions.

No definition available.

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

Amount of loss contingency liability.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 450
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349

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

Number of claims settled.

No definition available.

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

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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 450
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14435-108349

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

Number of pending claims pertaining to a loss contingency.

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingencyPendingClaimsNumber
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

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.

No definition available.

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

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=mmm_ProductLiabilityFiltersMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=mmm_ProductLiabilityLitigationEDFMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=mmm_ProductLiabilityBairHuggerMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=mmm_ProductLiabilityLavaUltimateDentalRestorativeMaterialMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=mmm_UsDistrictCourtForDistrictOfMinnesotaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: