<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2006-10-18</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2006-10-19</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000019446</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>CANTEL MEDICAL CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>CMN</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001244403</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>DORNBUSH DARWIN C</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>DORNBUSH SCHAEFFER STRONGIN &amp; VENAGLIA</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>747 THIRD AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10017</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2006-10-18</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>M</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1125</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>9.97</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>15875</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>18550</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Includes 2,250 shares owned by reporting person that were previously reported as held in a pension plan in which the reporting person is a trustee. This transaction was inadvertently omitted in the original Form 4 filed on October 19, 2006 (which reported the exercise of a stock option to which the presently reported transaction relates).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">As a result of the failure to report the stock issuance on the Form 4 filed on October 19, 2006 (to which this amendment relates), the beneficial stock ownership reported in Table I, Column 5 of subsequent Form 4s of the Reporting Person was incorrect. Therefore, this amendment is also being filed to correct the previously reported stock ownership as follows: On the Form 4 of the Reporting Person filed on 1/18/07, the previously reported amounts of 15,875 and 17,000 are hereby revised to 17,000 and 18,125, respectively, and on the Form 4 of the Reporting Person filed on 4/26/07, the previously reported amounts of 18,125 and 17,425 are hereby revised to 19,250 and 18,550, respectively.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Darwin C. Dornbush</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-05-29</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
