Supplemental Guarantor Information - Consolidating Condensed Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2017	Nov. 30, 2016	Nov. 30, 2017	Nov. 30, 2016
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	$ 1,308,038	$ 1,000,015	$ 2,619,822	$ 1,994,297
Other	298,403	271,062	598,122	543,430
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	1,606,441	1,271,077	3,217,944	2,537,727
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	723,960	551,498	1,430,823	1,088,595
Cost of other	166,112	154,361	331,399	307,487
Selling and administrative expenses	468,084	361,415	954,367	731,118
G&K Services, Inc. transaction and integration expenses	13,074	3,347	17,045	6,134
Operating income	235,211	200,456	484,310	404,393
Interest income	(291)	(31)	(588)	(96)
Interest expense (income)	29,129	13,267	59,446	27,439
Income before income taxes	206,373	187,220	425,452	377,050
Income taxes	68,636	65,270	126,607	118,892
Income from continuing operations	137,737	121,950	298,845	258,158
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(628)	18,427	55,475	20,310
Net income	137,109	140,377	354,320	278,468
Eliminations
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	(49,882)	(43,373)	(99,457)	(87,862)
Other	(158,805)	(138,696)	(307,003)	(274,253)
Equity in net income of affiliates	(137,737)	(121,950)	(298,845)	(258,158)
Total revenue	(346,424)	(304,019)	(705,305)	(620,273)
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	(75,337)	(63,827)	(150,158)	(129,737)
Cost of other	(126,345)	(111,538)	(245,043)	(221,035)
Selling and administrative expenses	(6,079)	(7,624)	(13,119)	(15,063)
G&K Services, Inc. transaction and integration expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income	(138,663)	(121,030)	(296,985)	(254,438)
Interest income	0	1	0	1
Interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	(138,663)	(121,031)	(296,985)	(254,439)
Income taxes	(25)	(28)	(44)	(54)
Income from continuing operations	(138,638)	(121,003)	(296,941)	(254,385)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	628	(19,056)	(55,475)	(20,939)
Net income	(138,010)	(140,059)	(352,416)	(275,324)
Cintas Corporation
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	0	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income of affiliates	137,737	121,950	298,845	258,158
Total revenue	137,737	121,950	298,845	258,158
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
G&K Services, Inc. transaction and integration expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income	137,737	121,950	298,845	258,158
Interest income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	137,737	121,950	298,845	258,158
Income taxes	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations	137,737	121,950	298,845	258,158
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(628)	18,427	55,475	20,310
Net income	137,109	140,377	354,320	278,468
Corp. 2
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	1,086,667	835,892	2,186,536	1,667,852
Other	435,539	390,963	862,841	779,045
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	1,522,206	1,226,855	3,049,377	2,446,897
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	628,123	483,399	1,250,271	958,620
Cost of other	302,065	271,812	590,984	535,538
Selling and administrative expenses	528,369	398,592	1,039,324	806,203
G&K Services, Inc. transaction and integration expenses	4,192	0	5,713	0
Operating income	59,457	73,052	163,085	146,536
Interest income	(45)	0	(76)	0
Interest expense (income)	29,444	14,528	60,005	29,355
Income before income taxes	30,058	58,524	103,156	117,181
Income taxes	11,449	20,635	31,019	37,304
Income from continuing operations	18,609	37,889	72,137	79,877
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(628)	17,115	64,374	18,998
Net income	17,981	55,004	136,511	98,875
Subsidiary Guarantors
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	170,320	149,886	335,215	299,034
Other	(313)	633	(6)	1,601
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	170,007	150,519	335,209	300,635
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	105,954	94,323	204,973	184,995
Cost of other	(25,046)	(19,549)	(44,715)	(34,480)
Selling and administrative expenses	(85,417)	(48,256)	(132,955)	(98,990)
G&K Services, Inc. transaction and integration expenses	8,319	3,347	10,754	6,134
Operating income	166,197	120,654	297,152	242,976
Interest income	(59)	(7)	(158)	(24)
Interest expense (income)	(313)	(1,176)	(452)	(1,878)
Income before income taxes	166,569	121,837	297,762	244,878
Income taxes	54,414	42,652	89,537	78,178
Income from continuing operations	112,155	79,185	208,225	166,700
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	(8,899)	0
Net income	112,155	79,185	199,326	166,700
Non- Guarantors
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	100,933	57,610	197,528	115,273
Other	21,982	18,162	42,290	37,037
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	122,915	75,772	239,818	152,310
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	65,220	37,603	125,737	74,717
Cost of other	15,438	13,636	30,173	27,464
Selling and administrative expenses	31,211	18,703	61,117	38,968
G&K Services, Inc. transaction and integration expenses	563	0	578	0
Operating income	10,483	5,830	22,213	11,161
Interest income	(187)	(25)	(354)	(73)
Interest expense (income)	(2)	(85)	(107)	(38)
Income before income taxes	10,672	5,940	22,674	11,272
Income taxes	2,798	2,011	6,095	3,464
Income from continuing operations	7,874	3,929	16,579	7,808
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	1,941	0	1,941
Net income	$ 7,874	$ 5,870	$ 16,579	$ 9,749