Supplemental Guarantor Information - Consolidating Condensed Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2018	Feb. 28, 2017	Feb. 28, 2018	Feb. 28, 2017
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	$ 1,284,516	$ 988,178	$ 3,904,338	$ 2,982,475
Other	304,622	267,189	902,744	810,619
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	1,589,138	1,255,367	4,807,082	3,793,094
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	718,138	542,790	2,148,961	1,631,385
Cost of other	170,537	152,653	501,936	460,140
Selling and administrative expenses	490,618	358,589	1,444,985	1,089,707
G&K Services, Inc. transaction and integration expenses	9,821	9,344	26,866	15,478
Operating income	200,024	191,991	684,334	596,384
Interest income	(384)	(11)	(972)	(107)
Interest expense (income)	25,901	13,696	85,347	41,135
Income before income taxes	174,507	178,306	599,959	555,356
Income tax (benefit) expense	(121,282)	61,352	5,325	180,244
Income from continuing operations	295,789	116,954	594,634	375,112
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	6,306	1,051	61,781	21,361
Net income	302,095	118,005	656,415	396,473
Eliminations
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	(44,917)	(37,583)	(144,374)	(125,445)
Other	(153,872)	(132,823)	(460,875)	(407,076)
Equity in net income of affiliates	(295,789)	(116,954)	(594,634)	(375,112)
Total revenue	(494,578)	(287,360)	(1,199,883)	(907,633)
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	(70,156)	(58,616)	(220,314)	(188,353)
Cost of other	(120,914)	(105,325)	(365,957)	(326,360)
Selling and administrative expenses	(7,155)	(7,054)	(20,274)	(22,117)
G&K Services, Inc. transaction and integration expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income	(296,353)	(116,365)	(593,338)	(370,803)
Interest income	2	1	2	2
Interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	(296,355)	(116,366)	(593,340)	(370,805)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(50)	(20)	(94)	(74)
Income from continuing operations	(296,305)	(116,346)	(593,246)	(370,731)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(6,257)	(1,247)	(61,732)	(22,186)
Net income	(302,562)	(117,593)	(654,978)	(392,917)
Cintas Corporation
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	0	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income of affiliates	295,789	116,954	594,634	375,112
Total revenue	295,789	116,954	594,634	375,112
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	295,789	116,954	594,634	375,112
Interest income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	295,789	116,954	594,634	375,112
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations	295,789	116,954	594,634	375,112
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	6,306	1,051	61,781	21,361
Net income	302,095	118,005	656,415	396,473
Corp. 2
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	1,059,184	821,386	3,245,720	2,489,238
Other	437,042	383,043	1,299,883	1,162,088
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	1,496,226	1,204,429	4,545,603	3,651,326
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	617,276	472,256	1,867,547	1,430,876
Cost of other	301,217	264,965	892,201	800,503
Selling and administrative expenses	491,924	396,225	1,531,248	1,202,428
G&K Services, Inc. transaction and integration expenses	5,101	0	10,814	0
Operating income	80,708	70,983	243,793	217,519
Interest income	(103)	(2)	(179)	(2)
Interest expense (income)	26,105	14,981	86,110	44,336
Income before income taxes	54,706	56,004	157,862	173,185
Income tax (benefit) expense	(88,275)	19,186	(57,256)	56,490
Income from continuing operations	142,981	36,818	215,118	116,695
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	7,269	791	71,643	19,789
Net income	150,250	37,609	286,761	136,484
Subsidiary Guarantors
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	169,308	147,293	504,523	446,327
Other	56	297	50	1,898
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	169,364	147,590	504,573	448,225
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	106,066	92,273	311,039	277,268
Cost of other	(24,654)	(19,449)	(69,369)	(53,929)
Selling and administrative expenses	(28,110)	(51,465)	(161,065)	(150,455)
G&K Services, Inc. transaction and integration expenses	3,968	9,344	14,722	15,478
Operating income	112,094	116,887	409,246	359,863
Interest income	(24)	(6)	(182)	(30)
Interest expense (income)	(207)	(1,193)	(659)	(3,071)
Income before income taxes	112,325	118,086	410,087	362,964
Income tax (benefit) expense	(38,777)	40,474	50,760	118,652
Income from continuing operations	151,102	77,612	359,327	244,312
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(1,012)	447	(9,911)	447
Net income	150,090	78,059	349,416	244,759
Non- Guarantors
Revenue:
Uniform rental and facility services	100,941	57,082	298,469	172,355
Other	21,396	16,672	63,686	53,709
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	122,337	73,754	362,155	226,064
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of uniform rental and facility services	64,952	36,877	190,689	111,594
Cost of other	14,888	12,462	45,061	39,926
Selling and administrative expenses	33,959	20,883	95,076	59,851
G&K Services, Inc. transaction and integration expenses	752	0	1,330	0
Operating income	7,786	3,532	29,999	14,693
Interest income	(259)	(4)	(613)	(77)
Interest expense (income)	3	(92)	(104)	(130)
Income before income taxes	8,042	3,628	30,716	14,900
Income tax (benefit) expense	5,820	1,712	11,915	5,176
Income from continuing operations	2,222	1,916	18,801	9,724
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	9	0	1,950
Net income	$ 2,222	$ 1,925	$ 18,801	$ 11,674