Supplemental Guarantor Information - Condensed Consolidating Income Statement (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2014	Nov. 30, 2013	Nov. 30, 2014	Nov. 30, 2013
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products	$ 865,428	$ 804,316	$ 1,722,300	$ 1,597,182
Other services	257,951	319,615	503,156	626,995
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	1,123,379	1,123,931	2,225,456	2,224,177
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products	477,960	459,112	948,569	913,843
Cost of other services	163,995	197,740	317,517	387,160
Selling and administrative expenses	300,249	314,868	614,707	631,351
Operating income	181,175	152,211	344,663	291,823
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business	0	0	6,619	0
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment	0	0	21,739	0
Interest income	(19)	(84)	(72)	(152)
Interest expense	15,929	16,485	32,512	33,008
Income before income taxes	165,265	135,810	340,581	258,967
Income taxes	61,819	51,354	127,344	97,113
Income from continuing operations	103,446	84,456	213,237	161,854
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	16,966	406	17,283	762
Net income	120,412	84,862	230,520	162,616
Cintas Corporation
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products	0	0	0	0
Other services	0		0	0
Equity in net income of affiliates	103,446	84,456	213,237	161,854
Total revenue	103,446	84,456	213,237	161,854
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products	0	0	0	0
Cost of other services	0	0	0	0
Selling and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income	103,446	84,456	213,237	161,854
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business			0
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment			0
Interest income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	103,446	84,456	213,237	161,854
Income taxes	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations	103,446	84,456	213,237	161,854
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	16,966	406	17,283	762
Net income	120,412	84,862	230,520	162,616
Corp. 2
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products	664,057	614,742	1,323,044	1,220,500
Other services	362,596	410,548	705,963	805,741
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	1,026,653	1,025,290	2,029,007	2,026,241
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products	405,805	390,215	804,077	773,934
Cost of other services	245,641	268,458	473,880	524,697
Selling and administrative expenses	309,060	310,278	623,063	614,383
Operating income	66,147	56,339	127,987	113,227
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business			6,619
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment			0
Interest income	(5)	(11)	(10)	(19)
Interest expense	16,435	16,468	32,844	32,948
Income before income taxes	49,717	39,882	101,772	80,298
Income taxes	18,598	15,147	37,876	30,136
Income from continuing operations	31,119	24,735	63,896	50,162
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	15,215	537	15,588	791
Net income	46,334	25,272	79,484	50,953
Subsidiary Guarantors
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products	180,725	164,985	357,431	327,550
Other services	8,224	9,165	15,180	17,714
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	188,949	174,150	372,611	345,264
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products	103,225	96,831	207,384	194,998
Cost of other services	(3,938)	(3,091)	(9,087)	(6,214)
Selling and administrative expenses	(20,210)	(10,963)	(33,164)	(15,822)
Operating income	109,872	91,373	207,478	172,302
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business			0
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment			21,739
Interest income	(15)	(72)	(63)	(125)
Interest expense	(497)	16	(327)	60
Income before income taxes	110,384	91,429	229,607	172,367
Income taxes	41,639	34,707	85,846	64,688
Income from continuing operations	68,745	56,722	143,761	107,679
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	0
Net income	68,745	56,722	143,761	107,679
Non- Guarantors
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products	55,155	56,104	111,436	111,069
Other services	19,488	23,948	36,812	44,617
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	74,643	80,052	148,248	155,686
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products	37,924	39,465	75,900	78,021
Cost of other services	11,791	15,124	23,058	28,344
Selling and administrative expenses	18,450	20,546	37,524	41,988
Operating income	6,478	4,917	11,766	7,333
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business			0
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment			0
Interest income	0	(2)	0	(14,696)
Interest expense	(9)	1	(5)	0
Income before income taxes	6,487	4,918	11,771	22,029
Income taxes	1,601	1,514	3,652	2,333
Income from continuing operations	4,886	3,404	8,119	19,696
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	1,751	(131)	1,695	(29)
Net income	6,637	3,273	9,814	19,667
Eliminations
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products	(34,509)	(31,515)	(69,611)	(61,937)
Other services	(132,357)	(124,046)	(254,799)	(241,077)
Equity in net income of affiliates	(103,446)	(84,456)	(213,237)	(161,854)
Total revenue	(270,312)	(240,017)	(537,647)	(464,868)
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products	(68,994)	(67,399)	(138,792)	(133,110)
Cost of other services	(89,499)	(82,751)	(170,334)	(159,667)
Selling and administrative expenses	(7,051)	(4,993)	(12,716)	(9,198)
Operating income	(104,768)	(84,874)	(215,805)	(162,893)
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business			0
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment			0
Interest income	1	1	1	14,688
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	(104,769)	(84,875)	(215,806)	(177,581)
Income taxes	(19)	(14)	(30)	(44)
Income from continuing operations	(104,750)	(84,861)	(215,776)	(177,537)
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	(16,966)	(406)	(17,283)	(762)
Net income	$ (121,716)	$ (85,267)	$ (233,059)	$ (178,299)