Supplemental Guarantor Information - Condensed Consolidating Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Feb. 29, 2016	Feb. 28, 2015	Feb. 29, 2016	Feb. 28, 2015
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	$ 936,565	$ 883,401	$ 2,812,677	$ 2,648,574
Other	279,518	225,446	821,376	685,729
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	1,216,083	1,108,847	3,634,053	3,334,303
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	524,656	501,273	1,569,250	1,497,771
Cost of other	166,819	132,267	488,651	401,855
Selling and administrative expenses	331,656	301,690	997,344	915,989
Operating income	192,952	173,617	578,808	518,688
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment	0	0	0	21,739
Interest income	(335)	(96)	(565)	(168)
Interest expense (income)	16,163	16,254	48,746	48,766
Income before income taxes	177,124	157,459	530,627	491,829
Income taxes	59,845	57,128	191,697	181,892
Income from continuing operations	117,279	100,331	338,930	309,937
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	62	(5,448)	223,692	15,466
Net income	117,341	94,883	562,622	325,403
Cintas Corporation
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	0	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income of affiliates	117,279	100,331	338,930	309,937
Total revenue	117,279	100,331	338,930	309,937
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	0	0	0	0
Cost of other	0	0	0	0
Selling and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income	117,279	100,331	338,930	309,937
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment				0
Interest income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	117,279	100,331	338,930	309,937
Income taxes	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations	117,279	100,331	338,930	309,937
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	62	(5,448)	223,692	15,466
Net income	117,341	94,883	562,622	325,403
Corp. 2
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	723,280	671,490	2,167,825	2,015,724
Other	390,199	328,626	1,157,067	1,013,399
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	1,113,479	1,000,116	3,324,892	3,029,123
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	449,530	420,917	1,345,421	1,258,525
Cost of other	246,282	211,502	732,338	651,851
Selling and administrative expenses	344,736	308,953	1,037,614	931,608
Operating income	72,931	58,744	209,519	187,139
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment				0
Interest income	(7)	(2)	(19)	(12)
Interest expense (income)	16,350	16,356	49,152	49,200
Income before income taxes	56,588	42,390	160,386	137,951
Income taxes	18,980	13,443	57,320	48,739
Income from continuing operations	37,608	28,947	103,066	89,212
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	74	(5,498)	229,355	13,721
Net income	37,682	23,449	332,421	102,933
Subsidiary Guarantors
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	198,943	187,389	601,085	558,994
Other	959	322	2,992	1,328
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	199,902	187,711	604,077	560,322
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	112,701	105,871	342,365	321,019
Cost of other	(8,083)	(8,810)	(25,460)	(25,661)
Selling and administrative expenses	(23,684)	(18,542)	(72,698)	(51,706)
Operating income	118,968	109,192	359,870	316,670
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment				21,739
Interest income	(262)	(77)	(378)	(140)
Interest expense (income)	(207)	(101)	(425)	(428)
Income before income taxes	119,437	109,370	360,673	338,977
Income taxes	39,764	42,928	129,426	128,774
Income from continuing operations	79,673	66,442	231,247	210,203
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	0
Net income	79,673	66,442	231,247	210,203
Non- Guarantors
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	50,763	56,379	158,449	175,551
Other	14,952	12,224	47,279	41,300
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	65,715	68,603	205,728	216,851
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	35,678	37,858	110,631	118,896
Cost of other	9,777	7,544	30,002	25,464
Selling and administrative expenses	17,459	18,235	51,479	55,759
Operating income	2,801	4,966	13,616	16,732
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment				0
Interest income	(68)	(18)	(170)	(18)
Interest expense (income)	20	(1)	19	(6)
Income before income taxes	2,849	4,985	13,767	16,756
Income taxes	1,130	770	5,033	4,422
Income from continuing operations	1,719	4,215	8,734	12,334
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(12)	50	(5,663)	1,745
Net income	1,707	4,265	3,071	14,079
Eliminations
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	(36,421)	(31,857)	(114,682)	(101,695)
Other	(126,592)	(115,726)	(385,962)	(370,298)
Equity in net income of affiliates	(117,279)	(100,331)	(338,930)	(309,937)
Total revenue	(280,292)	(247,914)	(839,574)	(781,930)
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	(73,253)	(63,373)	(229,167)	(200,669)
Cost of other	(81,157)	(77,969)	(248,229)	(249,799)
Selling and administrative expenses	(6,855)	(6,956)	(19,051)	(19,672)
Operating income	(119,027)	(99,616)	(343,127)	(311,790)
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment				0
Interest income	2	1	2	2
Interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	(119,029)	(99,617)	(343,129)	(311,792)
Income taxes	(29)	(13)	(82)	(43)
Income from continuing operations	(119,000)	(99,604)	(343,047)	(311,749)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(62)	5,448	(223,692)	(15,466)
Net income	$ (119,062)	$ (94,156)	$ (566,739)	$ (327,215)