The accumulated other comprehensive loss that 3M Company has recorded from its Venezuelan subsidiary.

No definition available.

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

- Definition

The maximum balance of the Company's overall net monetary assets valued functional currency.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The threshold percentage for determining whether an economic environment is highly inflationary for purposes of determining the functional currency of an entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mmm_HighlyInflationaryEconomicEnvironmentInflationThresholdPercent
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of years used in the calculation to determine whether an economic environment is highly inflationary for purposes of determining the functional currency of an entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mmm_HighlyInflationaryEconomicEnvironmentNumberOfYearsUsedInCalculation
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The operating income of a subsidiary (located in the highly inflationary country of Venezuela) as a percentage of the consolidated operating income, high end of range.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mmm_OperatingIncomeOfSubsidiaryInHighlyInflationaryCountryPercentOfConsolidatedAmountMaximum
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Foreign exchange rate used to remeasure amounts denominated in a currency other than functional currency into functional currency.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 830
-SubTopic 30
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6897108&loc=SL6897125-166521

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=us-gaap_SubsidiaryOfCommonParentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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Significant Accounting Policies - Foreign Currency Translation (Details) - Subsidiary $ in Millions, $ in Millions, in Billions	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018 VEF ( )	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018 ARS ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)
Venezuela
Foreign Currency Translation
Accumulated other comprehensive loss that 3M Company has recorded from its Venezuelan subsidiary				$ 145
Foreign currency exchange rate	96,000		96,000	96,000
Argentina
Foreign Currency Translation
Threshold percentage used to determine if economic environment is highly inflationary	100.00%
Number of years used to determine if economic environment is highly inflationary	3 years
Foreign currency exchange rate	28		28	28
Maximum \| Venezuela
Foreign Currency Translation
Balance of the Company's overall net monetary assets valued functional currency \|	860
Maximum \| Argentina
Foreign Currency Translation
Operating income of subsidiaries as percent of consolidated amount high end of range		0.50%
Balance of the Company's overall net monetary assets valued functional currency			$ 230