Supplemental Guarantor Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	May 31, 2012	Feb. 29, 2012	Nov. 30, 2011	Aug. 31, 2011	May 31, 2011	Feb. 28, 2011	Nov. 30, 2010	Aug. 31, 2010	May 31, 2012	May 31, 2011	May 31, 2010
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products									$ 2,912,261	$ 2,692,248	$ 2,569,357
Other services									1,189,739	1,118,136	977,982
Equity in net income of affiliates									0	0	0
Total revenue	1,053,582	1,012,112	1,019,126	1,017,180	1,012,087	937,827	936,566	923,904	4,102,000	3,810,384	3,547,339
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products									1,648,551	1,530,456	1,449,576
Cost of other services									714,841	670,641	599,946
Selling and administrative expenses									1,198,981	1,168,944	1,086,359
Legal settlements, net of insurance proceeds									0	0	23,529
Restructuring credits									0	0	(2,880)
Operating income									539,627	440,343	390,809
Interest income									(1,942)	(2,030)	(1,695)
Interest expense (income)									70,625	49,704	48,612
Income before income taxes									470,944	392,669	343,892
Income taxes									173,307	145,680	128,272
Net income	78,614	76,035	74,350	68,638	70,776	59,070	55,866	61,277	297,637	246,989	215,620
Cintas Corporation [Member]
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products									0	0	0
Other services									0	0	0
Equity in net income of affiliates									297,637	246,989	215,620
Total revenue									297,637	246,989	215,620
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products									0	0	0
Cost of other services									0	0	0
Selling and administrative expenses									0	0	0
Legal settlements, net of insurance proceeds											0
Restructuring credits											0
Operating income									297,637	246,989	215,620
Interest income									0	0	0
Interest expense (income)									0	0	0
Income before income taxes									297,637	246,989	215,620
Income taxes									0	0	0
Net income									297,637	246,989	215,620
Corp. 2 [Member]
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products									2,233,085	2,069,895	1,970,303
Other services									1,488,163	1,395,119	1,216,779
Equity in net income of affiliates									0	0	0
Total revenue									3,721,248	3,465,014	3,187,082
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products									1,386,320	1,305,908	1,226,076
Cost of other services									955,148	876,359	798,841
Selling and administrative expenses									1,184,888	1,065,037	1,037,945
Legal settlements, net of insurance proceeds											0
Restructuring credits											(1,080)
Operating income									194,892	217,710	125,300
Interest income									(111,631)	(589)	(268)
Interest expense (income)									72,212	52,357	51,486
Income before income taxes									234,311	165,942	74,082
Income taxes									68,752	60,028	27,936
Net income									165,559	105,914	46,146
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products									574,950	531,525	518,254
Other services									28,660	340,063	351,368
Equity in net income of affiliates									0	0	0
Total revenue									603,610	871,588	869,622
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products									362,803	330,442	332,935
Cost of other services									(13,649)	316,650	297,890
Selling and administrative expenses									(69,882)	17,270	(20,140)
Legal settlements, net of insurance proceeds											23,529
Restructuring credits											(1,800)
Operating income									324,338	207,226	237,208
Interest income									(589)	(697)	(1,130)
Interest expense (income)									(1,543)	(2,687)	(2,897)
Income before income taxes									326,470	210,610	241,235
Income taxes									95,793	76,186	91,239
Net income									230,677	134,424	149,996
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products									210,683	196,380	180,847
Other services									117,791	109,634	66,229
Equity in net income of affiliates									0	0	0
Total revenue									328,474	306,014	247,076
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products									145,293	132,463	111,340
Cost of other services									73,130	67,997	41,316
Selling and administrative expenses									(145,953)	92,839	67,669
Legal settlements, net of insurance proceeds											0
Restructuring credits											0
Operating income									256,004	12,715	26,751
Interest income									(190,345)	(100,777)	(297)
Interest expense (income)									(44)	34	23
Income before income taxes									446,393	113,458	27,025
Income taxes									8,814	9,494	9,123
Net income									437,579	103,964	17,902
Eliminations [Member]
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products									(106,457)	(105,552)	(100,047)
Other services									(444,875)	(726,680)	(656,394)
Equity in net income of affiliates									(297,637)	(246,989)	(215,620)
Total revenue									(848,969)	(1,079,221)	(972,061)
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products									(245,865)	(238,357)	(220,775)
Cost of other services									(299,788)	(590,365)	(538,101)
Selling and administrative expenses									229,928	(6,202)	885
Legal settlements, net of insurance proceeds											0
Restructuring credits											0
Operating income									(533,244)	(244,297)	(214,070)
Interest income									300,623	100,033	0
Interest expense (income)									0	0	0
Income before income taxes									(833,867)	(344,330)	(214,070)
Income taxes									(52)	(28)	(26)
Net income									$ (833,815)	$ (344,302)	$ (214,044)