Debt - Narrative (Details)							12 Months Ended
	Nov. 14, 2019 USD ($) trading_day	Aug. 27, 2019 USD ($)	Jun. 28, 2019	Feb. 22, 2019 USD ($)	Jan. 04, 2017 USD ($)	Feb. 25, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) entity	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt							$ 445,055,000
Number of wholly-owned entities | entity							2
Write-off of financing costs							$ 3,755,000	$ 0	$ 1,080,000
Increase (decrease) in credit facility		$ 85,000,000
Proceeds from receivables securitization facility							660,000,000	2,420,000,000	2,525,000,000
Payments for receivables securitization facility							(670,000,000)	$ (2,435,000,000)	$ (2,360,000,000)
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net debt issuance costs						$ 7,000,000.0
Unamortized debt issuance costs						1,800,000
Write-off of financing costs						3,600,000
Amount outstanding of line of credit							700,000,000.0
Principal amount of debt instrument						$ 700,000,000
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)						6.50%
Debt Instrument issue price to principal (as a percent)						100.00%
Revolving Credit Facility | Senior secured revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Average daily balance under facility							56,200,000
Revolving Credit Facility | Senior secured debtor-in-possession credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity of credit facility	$ 425,000,000
Net debt issuance costs	14,000,000.0
Revolving Credit Facility | Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of value of inventory and real property (as a percent)			65.00%	65.00%
Revolving Credit Facility | Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity of credit facility		$ 350,000,000		$ 265,000,000
Net debt issuance costs				11,900,000
Unamortized debt issuance costs				3,200,000
Write-off of financing costs				$ 13,800,000
Commitment reduction along with prepayment with net cash proceeds of asset sales (as a percent)				50.00%
Commitment reduction along with prepayment with net cash proceeds of asset sales				$ 175,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility | Credit Facility | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Fixed charge coverage ratio				1.05
Revolving Credit Facility | Credit Facility | Base Rate | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)				1.75%
Revolving Credit Facility | Credit Facility | Base Rate | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)				1.25%
Revolving Credit Facility | Credit Facility | Eurodollar Rate | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)				2.75%
Revolving Credit Facility | Credit Facility | Eurodollar Rate | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)				2.25%
Revolving Credit Facility | Amendment to Receivables Securitization Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity of credit facility					$ 450,000,000
Net debt issuance costs					10,800,000
Unamortized debt issuance costs					600,000
Write-off of financing costs					$ 2,200,000
Revolving Credit Facility | Amendment to Receivables Securitization Facility | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)					1.05%
Unused capacity fee (as a percent)					0.55%
Revolving Credit Facility | Amendment to Receivables Securitization Facility | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)					0.90%
Unused capacity fee (as a percent)					0.40%
Revolving Credit Facility | Receivables securitization facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity of credit facility							425,000,000
Commitment reduction along with prepayment with net cash proceeds of asset sales (as a percent)				50.00%
Amount outstanding of line of credit							236,700,000
Remaining borrowing capacity of line of credit facility							8,300,000
Average daily balance under facility							246,000,000.0
Current borrowing capacity of line of credit							425,000,000.0
Total receivables sold							530,100,000
Proceeds from receivables securitization facility							700,000,000
Payments for receivables securitization facility							$ (700,000,000)
Revolving Credit Facility | Receivables securitization facility | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consolidated interest coverage ratio								4.25
Current borrowing capacity of line of credit				$ 100,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility | Receivables securitization facility | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Fixed charge coverage ratio				1.05
Revolving Credit Facility | Letter of Credit | Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity of credit facility				$ 25,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility | Letter of Credit | Credit Facility | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Liquidity determinant - unrestricted cash on hand				25,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility | Letter of Credit | Receivables securitization facility | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Liquidity determinant - unrestricted cash on hand				25,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility | Swing Line Loan | Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity of credit facility				$ 10,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility | DIP Revolving Loans | Senior secured debtor-in-possession credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	236,200,000
Sub-limit of credit facility	$ 25,000,000
Dean Foods Company | Senior Notes Due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)							6.50%	6.50%
Dean Foods Company | Revolving Credit Facility | Senior secured debtor-in-possession credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of value of inventory and real property (as a percent)	65.00%
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Threshold Consecutive Trading Days | trading_day	5
Amount outstanding of line of credit							$ 258,800,000
Average daily balance under facility							200,900,000
Letters of credit issued							0
Extension option period	3 months
Extension fee rate (as a percent)	0.50%
Dean Foods Company | Revolving Credit Facility | Senior secured debtor-in-possession credit facility | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Liquidity determinant - unrestricted cash on hand	$ 30,000,000
Dean Foods Company | Revolving Credit Facility | Senior secured debtor-in-possession credit facility | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)	7.00%
Dean Foods Company | Revolving Credit Facility | Senior secured debtor-in-possession credit facility | Base Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)	6.00%
Dean Foods Company | Revolving Credit Facility | DIP Revolving Loans | Senior secured debtor-in-possession credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount outstanding of line of credit							188,800,000
Dean Foods Company | Revolving Credit Facility | DIP Term Loans | Senior secured debtor-in-possession credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount outstanding of line of credit							70,000,000.0
Subsidiary debt obligations | Capital lease and other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Finance lease and other							6,255,000	$ 1,618,000
Subsidiary debt obligations | Revolving Credit Facility | Receivables securitization facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount outstanding of line of credit							$ 180,000,000.0