Supplemental Guarantor Information (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Feb. 29, 2012	May 31, 2011	Feb. 28, 2011	May 31, 2010
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 217,983	$ 438,106	$ 184,731	$ 411,281
Marketable securities	134,631	87,220
Accounts receivable, net	439,650	429,131
Inventories, net	275,673	249,658
Uniforms and other rental items in service	434,475	393,826
Income taxes, current (receivable)	37,386	33,542
Deferred tax asset (liability)	56,422	45,813
Prepaid expenses and other	29,316	23,481
Total current assets	1,625,536	1,700,777
Property and equipment, at cost, net	944,034	946,218
Goodwill	1,486,465	1,487,882
Service contracts, net	81,666	102,312
Other assets, net	115,466	114,751
Total assets	4,253,167	4,351,940	3,972,070
Current liabilities:
Accounts (receivable) payable	115,566	110,279
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	83,007	79,834
Accrued liabilities	224,355	242,691
Long-term debt due within one year	225,633	1,335
Total current liabilities	648,561	434,139
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt due after one year	1,059,276	1,284,790
Deferred (credit) income taxes	206,047	196,321
Accrued liabilities	142,656	134,041
Total long-term liabilities	1,407,979	1,615,152
Total shareholders' equity	2,196,627	2,302,649
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	4,253,167	4,351,940
Cintas Corporation
Current assets:
Other assets, net	1,680,305	1,778,595
Total assets	1,680,305	1,778,595
Current liabilities:
Accounts (receivable) payable	(465,247)	(465,247)
Total current liabilities	(465,247)	(465,247)
Long-term liabilities:
Total shareholders' equity	2,145,552	2,243,842
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	1,680,305	1,778,595
Corp. 2
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	50,717	54,957	48,871	34,905
Accounts receivable, net	318,653	312,033
Inventories, net	234,005	204,536
Uniforms and other rental items in service	328,774	302,897
Income taxes, current (receivable)	(8,657)	949
Deferred tax asset (liability)	554	566
Prepaid expenses and other	7,438	5,738
Total current assets	931,484	881,676
Property and equipment, at cost, net	596,314	587,701
Service contracts, net	75,445	94,379
Other assets, net	1,628,580	1,629,598
Total assets	3,231,823	3,193,354
Current liabilities:
Accounts (receivable) payable	(391,280)	(329,430)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	58,323	55,138
Accrued liabilities	37,552	61,399
Long-term debt due within one year	225,863	855
Total current liabilities	(69,542)	(212,038)
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt due after one year	1,068,930	1,294,674
Deferred (credit) income taxes	(6)	(7)
Total long-term liabilities	1,068,924	1,294,667
Total shareholders' equity	2,232,441	2,110,725
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	3,231,823	3,193,354
Subsidiary Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	130,113	313,283	5,663	339,702
Accounts receivable, net	80,102	76,484
Inventories, net	19,968	24,943
Uniforms and other rental items in service	95,552	82,148
Income taxes, current (receivable)	25,182	8,355
Deferred tax asset (liability)	58,685	47,905
Prepaid expenses and other	19,048	13,732
Total current assets	428,650	566,850
Property and equipment, at cost, net	263,074	274,086
Goodwill	1,418,031	1,416,926
Service contracts, net	400	663
Other assets, net	2,338,440	2,070,017
Total assets	4,448,595	4,328,542
Current liabilities:
Accounts (receivable) payable	902,666	855,739
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	19,456	20,153
Accrued liabilities	175,316	154,861
Long-term debt due within one year	(230)	480
Total current liabilities	1,097,208	1,031,233
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt due after one year	(11,045)	(12,433)
Deferred (credit) income taxes	200,877	190,701
Accrued liabilities	141,908	133,427
Total long-term liabilities	331,740	311,695
Total shareholders' equity	3,019,647	2,985,614
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	4,448,595	4,328,542
Non-Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	37,153	69,866	130,197	36,674
Marketable securities	134,631	87,220
Accounts receivable, net	40,895	40,614
Inventories, net	11,812	13,266
Uniforms and other rental items in service	36,165	34,895
Income taxes, current (receivable)	20,861	24,238
Deferred tax asset (liability)	(2,817)	(2,658)
Prepaid expenses and other	2,830	4,011
Total current assets	281,530	271,452
Property and equipment, at cost, net	84,646	84,431
Goodwill	68,434	70,956
Service contracts, net	5,821	7,270
Other assets, net	396,865	369,527
Total assets	837,296	803,636
Current liabilities:
Accounts (receivable) payable	31,408	11,198
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	5,228	4,543
Accrued liabilities	11,487	27,235
Total current liabilities	48,123	42,976
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt due after one year	1,391	1,745
Deferred (credit) income taxes	5,176	5,627
Accrued liabilities	748	614
Total long-term liabilities	7,315	7,986
Total shareholders' equity	781,858	752,674
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	837,296	803,636
Eliminations
Current assets:
Inventories, net	9,888	6,913
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(26,016)	(26,114)
Total current assets	(16,128)	(19,201)
Other assets, net	(5,928,724)	(5,732,986)
Total assets	(5,944,852)	(5,752,187)
Current liabilities:
Accounts (receivable) payable	38,019	38,019
Accrued liabilities		(804)
Total current liabilities	38,019	37,215
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt due after one year		804
Total long-term liabilities		804
Total shareholders' equity	(5,982,871)	(5,790,206)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ (5,944,852)	$ (5,752,187)