Supplemental Guarantor Information - Condensed Consolidating Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	$ 938,408	$ 873,698
Other	260,482	228,379
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0
Total revenue	1,198,890	1,102,077
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	518,503	490,675
Cost of other	156,243	133,456
Selling and administrative expenses	338,637	314,458
Operating income	185,507	163,488
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment	0	21,739
Interest income	(119)	(53)
Interest expense (income)	16,412	16,583
Income before income taxes	169,214	168,697
Income taxes	63,016	62,792
Income from continuing operations	106,198	105,905
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(6,017)	4,203
Net income	100,181	110,108
Cintas Corporation
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	0	0
Other	0	0
Equity in net income of affiliates	106,198	105,905
Total revenue	106,198	105,905
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	0	0
Cost of other	0	0
Selling and administrative expenses	0	0
Operating income	106,198	105,905
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment		0
Interest income	0	0
Interest expense (income)	0	0
Income before income taxes	106,198	105,905
Income taxes	0	0
Income from continuing operations	106,198	105,905
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(6,017)	4,203
Net income	100,181	110,108
Corp. 2
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	721,329	665,874
Other	372,611	336,480
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0
Total revenue	1,093,940	1,002,354
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	440,580	408,371
Cost of other	237,369	217,942
Selling and administrative expenses	347,076	314,002
Operating income	68,915	62,039
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment		0
Interest income	0	(5)
Interest expense (income)	16,375	16,409
Income before income taxes	52,540	45,635
Income taxes	19,589	16,748
Income from continuing operations	32,951	28,887
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(5,323)	4,263
Net income	27,628	33,150
Subsidiary Guarantors
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	202,265	183,181
Other	1,293	481
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0
Total revenue	203,558	183,662
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	116,832	110,922
Cost of other	(8,643)	(10,657)
Selling and administrative expenses	(18,855)	(14,006)
Operating income	114,224	97,403
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment		21,739
Interest income	(48)	(48)
Interest expense (income)	38	170
Income before income taxes	114,234	119,020
Income taxes	42,591	44,004
Income from continuing operations	71,643	75,016
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0
Net income	71,643	75,016
Non- Guarantors
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	54,012	59,861
Other	14,811	13,744
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0
Total revenue	68,823	73,605
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	37,357	40,282
Cost of other	9,570	8,957
Selling and administrative expenses	17,880	19,074
Operating income	4,016	5,292
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment		0
Interest income	(71)	0
Interest expense (income)	(1)	4
Income before income taxes	4,088	5,288
Income taxes	861	2,051
Income from continuing operations	3,227	3,237
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(694)	(60)
Net income	2,533	3,177
Eliminations
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	(39,198)	(35,218)
Other	(128,233)	(122,326)
Equity in net income of affiliates	(106,198)	(105,905)
Total revenue	(273,629)	(263,449)
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	(76,266)	(68,900)
Cost of other	(82,053)	(82,786)
Selling and administrative expenses	(7,464)	(4,612)
Operating income	(107,846)	(107,151)
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment		0
Interest income	0	0
Interest expense (income)	0	0
Income before income taxes	(107,846)	(107,151)
Income taxes	(25)	(11)
Income from continuing operations	(107,821)	(107,140)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	6,017	(4,203)
Net income	$ (101,804)	$ (111,343)