Supplemental Guarantor Information (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2012	Aug. 31, 2011
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 76,733	$ 68,638
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation	40,342	38,277
Amortization of intangible assets	6,100	10,233
Stock-based compensation	5,448	4,522
Deferred income taxes	9,716	(7,808)
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	(7,128)	(10,142)
Inventories, net	9,889	(30,770)
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(8,672)	(11,124)
Prepaid expenses	(5,392)	(5,983)
Accounts payable	16,278	(9,329)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	(50,793)	(27,611)
Accrued liabilities	(27,400)	(10,201)
Income taxes, current	29,744	47,860
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	94,865	56,562
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(47,438)	(44,421)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	24,720	63,561
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	(36,970)	(107,145)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(2,130)	(870)
Other	577	6,539
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(61,241)	(82,336)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	250,000
Repayment of debt	(225,154)	(444)
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	1,119	0
Dividends paid		0
Repurchase of common stock	(77,953)	(262,639)
Other	(3,491)	926
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(55,479)	(262,157)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	1,247	137
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(20,608)	(287,794)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	339,825	438,106
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	319,217	150,312
Cintas Corporation [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	76,733	68,638
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Stock-based compensation	5,448	4,522
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Uniforms and other rental items in service	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	0	0
Accrued liabilities	0	0
Income taxes, current	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	82,181	73,160
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	0	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	0	0
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Other	(7,928)	188,930
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(7,928)	188,930
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	1,119	0
Dividends paid		0
Repurchase of common stock	(77,953)	(262,639)
Other	2,581	549
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(74,253)	(262,090)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Corp. 2 [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	23,592	31,893
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation	23,845	23,365
Amortization of intangible assets	5,127	8,789
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	(2)
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	(9,426)	(5,811)
Inventories, net	7,594	(29,331)
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(4,140)	(10,416)
Prepaid expenses	201	264
Accounts payable	(34,149)	(25,392)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	(35,526)	(18,198)
Accrued liabilities	(20,442)	(11,479)
Income taxes, current	5,845	5,400
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(37,479)	(30,918)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(26,987)	(22,735)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	0	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	529	(649)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(1,343)	(870)
Other	57,262	53,667
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	29,461	29,413
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	250,000
Repayment of debt	(225,384)	(359)
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	0	0
Dividends paid		0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Other	(5,453)	377
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	19,163	18
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	(4)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	11,145	(1,491)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	58,737	54,957
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	69,882	53,466
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	50,272	38,708
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation	13,280	11,711
Amortization of intangible assets	75	103
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Deferred income taxes	9,764	(7,901)
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	(880)	(2,555)
Inventories, net	261	(4,800)
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(3,864)	(3,874)
Prepaid expenses	(5,478)	(6,316)
Accounts payable	53,816	11,474
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	(12,735)	(8,170)
Accrued liabilities	(4,977)	3,132
Income taxes, current	24,635	40,452
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	124,169	71,964
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(15,169)	(18,184)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	0	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	(1,244)	(7,743)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Other	(126,388)	(300,031)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(142,801)	(325,958)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	(477)
Repayment of debt	1,016	719
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	0	0
Dividends paid		0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	539	719
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(18,093)	(253,275)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	229,287	313,283
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	211,194	60,008
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	3,532	4,872
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation	3,217	3,201
Amortization of intangible assets	898	1,341
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(48)	95
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	3,178	(1,776)
Inventories, net	271	(164)
Uniforms and other rental items in service	545	(143)
Prepaid expenses	(115)	69
Accounts payable	(3,389)	4,589
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	(2,532)	(1,243)
Accrued liabilities	(2,767)	(2,658)
Income taxes, current	(736)	2,008
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	2,054	10,191
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(5,282)	(3,502)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	24,720	63,561
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	(35,445)	(103,418)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(787)	0
Other	(25)	(1)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(16,819)	(43,360)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	477
Repayment of debt	0	0
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	0	0
Dividends paid		0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Other	(619)	0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(142)	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	1,247	141
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(13,660)	(33,028)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	51,801	69,866
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	38,141	36,838
Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(77,396)	(75,473)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	1,763	3,525
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(1,213)	3,309
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	0	0
Accrued liabilities	786	804
Income taxes, current	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(76,060)	(67,835)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	0	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	(810)	4,665
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Other	77,656	63,974
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	76,846	68,639
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0
Repayment of debt	(786)	(804)
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	0	0
Dividends paid		0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(786)	(804)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0	$ 0