Employee Benefit And Retirement Plans (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Contribution Benefit Arrangement, Employer Contributions	$ 16.1	$ 17.6

Defined Contribution Benefit Arrangement, Employer Contributions

No definition available.

Name:	nwl_DefinedContributionBenefitArrangementEmployerContributions
Namespace Prefix:	nwl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration