Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Operating activities
Net earnings	$ 692us-gaap_ProfitLoss	$ 849us-gaap_ProfitLoss	$ 425us-gaap_ProfitLoss
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	560us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization	540us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization	551us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization
Curtailment gain	0	0	(52)
Increase (decrease) in LIFO inventory reserve	9	(26)	(13)
Brazilian collection dispute	0whr_BrazilianCollectionDispute	0whr_BrazilianCollectionDispute	(275)whr_BrazilianCollectionDispute
Changes in assets and liabilities (net of effects of acquisitions):
Accounts receivable	(90)	(65)	47
Inventories	40us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventories	(86)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventories	(7)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventories
Accounts payable	359	275	240
Accrued advertising and promotions	121	28	(13)
Accrued expenses and current liabilities	(232)	82	0
Taxes deferred and payable, net	49	(105)	(68)
Accrued pension and postretirement benefits	(181)	(184)	(227)
Employee compensation	(17)	(23)	249
Other	169	(23)	(161)
Cash provided by operating activities	1,479	1,262	696
Investing activities
Capital expenditures	(720)	(578)	(476)
Proceeds from sale of assets and business	21	6	10
Change in restricted cash	74	0	0
Acquisition of Indesit Company S.p.A.	(1,356)	0	0
Acquisition of Hefei Rongshida Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.	(453)	0	0
Investment in related businesses	(16)	(6)	(28)
Other	(6)	(4)	0
Cash used in investing activities	(2,456)	(582)	(494)
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings of long-term debt	1,483	518	322
Repayments of long-term debt	(606)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt	(513)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt	(361)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
Net proceeds from short-term borrowings	63	5	6
Dividends paid	(224)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividends	(187)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividends	(155)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividends
Repurchase of common stock	(25)	(350)	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest shares	(5)	0	0
Common stock issued	38	95	43
Other	(19)	(2)	(3)
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	705	(434)	(148)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and equivalents	(82)	(34)	5
Increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	(354)	212	59
Cash and equivalents at beginning of year	1,380	1,168	1,109
Cash and equivalents at end of year	1,026	1,380	1,168
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information
Cash paid for interest	172us-gaap_InterestPaid	179us-gaap_InterestPaid	197us-gaap_InterestPaid
Cash paid for income taxes	$ 140us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaid	$ 158us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaid	$ 177us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaid

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Amount of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Excludes cash and cash equivalents within disposal group and discontinued operation.