Segment Information - Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 2,699.0	$ 2,569.0	$ 6,696.0	$ 7,091.0
Operating income (Loss)	363.0	(857.0)	(882.0)	(614.0)
Segment assets	14,720.0		14,720.0		$ 15,642.0
Impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets	2.0	1,071.0	1,471.0	1,145.0
Appliances and Cookware
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	479.0	430.0	1,129.0	1,122.0
Operating income (Loss)	32.0	(595.0)	(266.0)	(593.0)
Segment assets	1,204.0		1,204.0		1,468.0
Impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets	0.0	609.0	299.0	609.0
Commercial Solutions
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	535.0	475.0	1,361.0	1,343.0
Operating income (Loss)	84.0	(216.0)	(148.0)	(171.0)
Segment assets	2,534.0		2,534.0		2,731.0
Impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets	0.0	236.0	320.0	310.0
Home Solutions
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	574.0	484.0	1,276.0	1,227.0
Operating income (Loss)	112.0	(112.0)	(150.0)	(113.0)
Segment assets	3,142.0		3,142.0		3,327.0
Impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets	0.0	158.0	290.0	158.0
Learning and Development
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	728.0	824.0	1,887.0	2,254.0
Operating income (Loss)	159.0	182.0	290.0	488.0
Segment assets	5,128.0		5,128.0		4,800.0
Impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets	2.0	1.0	80.0	1.0
Outdoor and Recreation
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	383.0	356.0	1,043.0	1,145.0
Operating income (Loss)	40.0	(41.0)	(409.0)	11.0
Segment assets	1,108.0		1,108.0		1,570.0
Impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets	0.0	67.0	482.0	67.0
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income (Loss)	(60.0)	(72.0)	(185.0)	(214.0)
Segment assets	1,604.0		1,604.0		$ 1,746.0
Restructuring \| Restructuring
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income (Loss)	$ (4.0)	$ (3.0)	$ (14.0)	$ (22.0)

Impairment of Intangible Assets, Indefinite-lived (Including Goodwill)

No definition available.

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

- Definition

Segment Assets

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nwl_SegmentAssets
Namespace Prefix:	nwl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, excluding tax collected from customer, of revenue from satisfaction of performance obligation by transferring promised good or service to customer. Tax collected from customer is tax assessed by governmental authority that is both imposed on and concurrent with specific revenue-producing transaction, including, but not limited to, sales, use, value added and excise.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130543-203045

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130545-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

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.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=nwl_AppliancesAndCookwareMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=nwl_CommercialSolutionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=nwl_HomeSolutionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=nwl_LearningAndDevelopmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=nwl_OutdoorAndRecreationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=us-gaap_CorporateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=nwl_RestructuringMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=nwl_RestructuringCostsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: