Name:	unf_AssetRetirementObligationRemainingLives
Namespace Prefix:	unf_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Represents the ratio that shares of common stock can be converted.

No definition available.

Name:	unf_CommonStockConversionRatio
Namespace Prefix:	unf_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Credit adjusted risk-free interest rate assumption used in valuing an asset retirement obligation.

No definition available.

Name:	unf_CreditAdjustedRiskFreeRate
Namespace Prefix:	unf_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Inflation rate applied to compute the estimated current costs related to liabilities for environmental contingencies.

No definition available.

Name:	unf_EnvironmentalContingenciesInflationRate
Namespace Prefix:	unf_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Maturity of Certificates of Deposit

No definition available.

Name:	unf_MaturityofCertificatesofDeposit
Namespace Prefix:	unf_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Number of Certificates of Deposit

No definition available.

Name:	unf_NumberofCertificatesofDeposit
Namespace Prefix:	unf_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

The maximum useful life of rental merchandise assets in service.

No definition available.

Name:	unf_RentalMerchandiseUsefulLifeMaximum
Namespace Prefix:	unf_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The minimum useful life of rental merchandise assets in service.

No definition available.

Name:	unf_RentalMerchandiseUsefulLifeMinimum
Namespace Prefix:	unf_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Rate applied, at lower range, to the undiscounted amount of environmental loss contingencies at an individual site to arrive at the present value recorded as of the balance sheet date.

No definition available.

Name:	unf_SiteContingencyDiscountRateLowerRange
Namespace Prefix:	unf_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Rate applied, at upper range, to the undiscounted amount of environmental loss contingencies at an individual site to arrive at the present value recorded as of the balance sheet date.

No definition available.

Name:	unf_SiteContingencyDiscountRateUpperRange
Namespace Prefix:	unf_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Discounted period, at lower range in years, applied to the undiscounted amount of environmental loss contingencies at an individual site to arrive at the present value recorded as of the balance sheet date.

No definition available.

Name:	unf_SiteContingencyDiscountedPeriodLowerRange
Namespace Prefix:	unf_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Discounted period, at upper range in years, applied to the undiscounted amount of environmental loss contingencies at an individual site to arrive at the present value recorded as of the balance sheet date.

No definition available.

Name:	unf_SiteContingencyDiscountedPeriodUpperRange
Namespace Prefix:	unf_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Weighted average amortization period of finite-lived intangible assets acquired either individually or as part of a group of assets, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66006027&loc=d3e16265-109275

Name:	us-gaap_AcquiredFiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsWeightedAverageUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount charged to advertising expense for the period, which are expenses incurred with the objective of increasing revenue for a specified brand, product or product line.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 720
-SubTopic 35
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6420018&loc=d3e36677-107848

Name:	us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Securities (including those issuable pursuant to contingent stock agreements) that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share (EPS) or earnings per unit (EPU) in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS or EPU because to do so would increase EPS or EPU amounts or decrease loss per share or unit amounts for the period presented.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257

Name:	us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount of impairment loss from capitalized computer software costs.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 985
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6501960&loc=d3e128487-111756

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 985
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6501960&loc=d3e128462-111756

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareImpairments1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

A savings certificate entitling the Entity (that is, bearer) to receive interest at an established maturity date, based upon a fixed interest rate. A certificate of deposit may be issued in any denomination. Certificates of deposit are generally issued by commercial banks and, therefore, insured by the FDIC (up to the prescribed limit). Certificates of deposit generally restrict holders from withdrawing funds on demand without the incurrence of penalties. Generally, only certificates of deposit with original maturities of three months or less qualify as cash equivalents. Original maturity means original maturity to the entity holding the investment. As a related example, both a three-month US Treasury bill and a three-year Treasury note purchased three months from maturity qualify as cash equivalents. However, a Treasury note purchased three-years ago does not become a cash equivalent when its remaining maturity is three months.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Name:	us-gaap_CertificatesOfDepositAtCarryingValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Total loss recognized during the period from the impairment of goodwill plus the loss recognized in the period resulting from the impairment of the carrying amount of intangible assets, other than goodwill.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillAndIntangibleAssetImpairment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

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.

No definition available.

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

Period from grant date that an equity-based award expires, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardExpirationPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount of undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries intended to be permanently reinvested outside the country of domicile.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 740
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6487024&loc=d3e29054-158556

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 740
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6479915&loc=d3e66715-112838

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 995
-SubTopic 740
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6503627&loc=d3e59836-110443

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96869850&loc=d3e28200-109314

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)(c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6424122&loc=d3e41874-109331

Name:	us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Name:	us-gaap_ConversionOfStockByUniqueDescriptionAxis=unf_ConversionOfClassBCommonStockInToCommonStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis=unf_NonEmployeeDirectorsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_StockAppreciationRightsSARSMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_VestingAxis=unf_CertainSharebasedAwardsGrantedDuringFiscal20162015and2014toNonemployeeDirectorsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_CustomerContractsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_OtherIntangibleAssetsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	invest_InvestmentAxis=unf_CertificatesofDepositCertificateAMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: