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Summary of Principal Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014 countries	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Number of countries in which entity operates		14us-gaap_NumberOfCountriesInWhichEntityOperates
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Cash not yet collected on receivables sold		$ 2,768,000,000us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent	$ 2,005,000,000us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent
Restricted cash		237,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents
Short-term Debt		569,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings	10,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings
Depreciation		527,000,000us-gaap_Depreciation	515,000,000us-gaap_Depreciation	521,000,000us-gaap_Depreciation
Level 3 assets and liabilities		0whr_Level3AssetsAndLiabilities	0whr_Level3AssetsAndLiabilities
Retirement of machinery		503,000,000us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationSaleOfPropertyPlantAndEquipment	282,000,000us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationSaleOfPropertyPlantAndEquipment
Accounts payable outsourcing		1,600,000,000whr_AccountsPayableOutsourcing	1,300,000,000whr_AccountsPayableOutsourcing
Research and development expense		563,000,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense	582,000,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense	553,000,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
Advertising expense		269,000,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense	304,000,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense	273,000,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense
Reclassification of deferred tax assets	53,000,000whr_Reclassificationofdeferredtaxassets
Other Current Assets
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Restricted cash		50,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherCurrentAssetsMember
Debt securitization
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Short-term Debt		35,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = whr_DebtSecuritizationMember	0us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = whr_DebtSecuritizationMember
Indesit Company S.p.A. | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Principal amount outstanding on loans securitized		88,000,000us-gaap_SecuredDebt / dei_LegalEntityAxis = whr_IndesitCompanyS.p.A.Member / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Current		53,000,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentCurrent / dei_LegalEntityAxis = whr_IndesitCompanyS.p.A.Member / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Cash not yet collected on receivables sold		38,000,000us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent / dei_LegalEntityAxis = whr_IndesitCompanyS.p.A.Member / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Restricted cash		5,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents / dei_LegalEntityAxis = whr_IndesitCompanyS.p.A.Member / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Short-term Debt		$ 35,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings / dei_LegalEntityAxis = whr_IndesitCompanyS.p.A.Member / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember

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Amount due from customers or clients, within one year of the balance sheet date (or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer), for goods or services (including trade receivables) that have been delivered or sold in the normal course of business, reduced to the estimated net realizable fair value by an allowance established by the entity of the amount it deems uncertain of collection.

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The aggregate costs incurred (1) in a planned search or critical investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge with the hope that such knowledge will be useful in developing a new product or service, a new process or technique, or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process; or (2) to translate research findings or other knowledge into a plan or design for a new product or process or for a significant improvement to an existing product or process whether intended for sale or the entity's use, during the reporting period charged to research and development projects, including the costs of developing computer software up to the point in time of achieving technological feasibility, and costs allocated in accounting for a business combination to in-process projects deemed to have no alternative future use.

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