Supplemental Guarantor Information (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2013	Feb. 29, 2012	Feb. 28, 2013	Feb. 29, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 74,705	$ 76,035	$ 229,465	$ 219,023
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation			123,242	115,566
Amortization of intangible assets			17,884	29,520
Stock-based compensation			16,660	15,023
Deferred income taxes			63,799	(995)
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net			(41,402)	(11,760)
Inventories, net			4,437	(26,958)
Uniforms and other rental items in service			(28,803)	(40,435)
Prepaid expenses and other			9	(5,977)
Accounts payable			13,475	6,372
Accrued compensation and related liabilities			(680)	3,251
Accrued liabilities			(35,682)	9,327
Income taxes payable			5,939	(4,243)
Net cash provided by operating activities			368,343	307,714
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(151,799)	(117,716)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities			97,651	519,955
Purchase of marketable securities and investments			(135,398)	(576,404)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired			(64,625)	(20,882)
Other			(662)	1,853
Net cash used in investing activities			(254,833)	(193,194)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt			250,000	0
Repayment of debt			(225,472)	(1,216)
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards			7,156	356
Dividends paid			(79,744)	(70,820)
Repurchase of common stock			(187,076)	(262,682)
Other			(1,385)	1,390
Net cash used in financing activities			(236,521)	(332,972)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			656	(1,671)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents			(122,355)	(220,123)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			339,825	438,106
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	217,470	217,983	217,470	217,983
Cintas Corporation [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	74,705	76,035	229,465	219,023
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation			0	0
Amortization of intangible assets			0	0
Stock-based compensation			16,660	15,023
Deferred income taxes			0	0
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net			0	0
Inventories, net			0	0
Uniforms and other rental items in service			0	0
Prepaid expenses and other			0	0
Accounts payable			0	0
Accrued compensation and related liabilities			0	0
Accrued liabilities			0	0
Income taxes payable			0	0
Net cash provided by operating activities			246,125	234,046
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities			0	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments			0	0
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired			0	0
Other			10,653	98,271
Net cash used in investing activities			10,653	98,271
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt			0
Repayment of debt			0	0
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards			7,156	356
Dividends paid			(79,723)	(70,800)
Repurchase of common stock			(187,076)	(262,682)
Other			2,865	809
Net cash used in financing activities			(256,778)	(332,317)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0	0	0
Corp. 2 [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	23,197	9,957	73,760	72,968
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation			73,048	70,252
Amortization of intangible assets			15,681	25,474
Stock-based compensation			0	0
Deferred income taxes			(1)	0
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net			(14,247)	(6,542)
Inventories, net			2,563	(29,357)
Uniforms and other rental items in service			(14,395)	(25,877)
Prepaid expenses and other			623	(1,698)
Accounts payable			(61,702)	(61,326)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities			456	3,185
Accrued liabilities			(25,003)	(11,899)
Income taxes payable			15,762	9,603
Net cash provided by operating activities			66,545	44,783
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(92,342)	(80,939)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities			0	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments			(865)	(2,552)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired			(62,693)	(15,632)
Other			57,394	49,778
Net cash used in investing activities			(98,506)	(49,345)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt			250,000
Repayment of debt			(225,702)	(736)
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards			0	0
Dividends paid			0	0
Repurchase of common stock			0	0
Other			(4,477)	1,131
Net cash used in financing activities			19,821	395
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(1)	(73)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents			(12,141)	(4,240)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			58,737	54,957
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	46,596	50,717	46,596	50,717
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	54,012	57,607	157,510	135,155
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation			40,025	35,841
Amortization of intangible assets			158	308
Stock-based compensation			0	0
Deferred income taxes			63,063	(710)
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net			(26,217)	(3,844)
Inventories, net			(4,556)	4,975
Uniforms and other rental items in service			(8,876)	(13,403)
Prepaid expenses and other			(1,769)	(5,316)
Accounts payable			70,654	45,955
Accrued compensation and related liabilities			(1,407)	(698)
Accrued liabilities			(10,825)	29,797
Income taxes payable			(14,114)	(16,827)
Net cash provided by operating activities			263,646	211,233
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(40,817)	(24,837)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities			10,810	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments			(32,340)	(35,293)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired			0	(65)
Other			(298,624)	(334,530)
Net cash used in investing activities			(360,971)	(394,725)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt			0
Repayment of debt			1,016	324
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards			0	0
Dividends paid			0	0
Repurchase of common stock			0	0
Other			0	0
Net cash used in financing activities			1,016	324
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			6,570	(2)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents			(89,739)	(183,170)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			229,287	313,283
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	139,548	130,113	139,548	130,113
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(4,054)	2,766	1,885	7,827
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation			10,169	9,473
Amortization of intangible assets			2,045	3,738
Stock-based compensation			0	0
Deferred income taxes			737	(285)
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net			(938)	(1,374)
Inventories, net			(153)	399
Uniforms and other rental items in service			(2,528)	(1,057)
Prepaid expenses and other			1,155	1,037
Accounts payable			4,523	21,743
Accrued compensation and related liabilities			271	764
Accrued liabilities			(640)	(9,375)
Income taxes payable			4,291	2,981
Net cash provided by operating activities			20,817	35,871
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(18,640)	(11,940)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities			86,841	519,955
Purchase of marketable securities and investments			(109,870)	(568,963)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired			(1,932)	(5,185)
Other			8,016	(285)
Net cash used in investing activities			(35,585)	(66,418)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt			0
Repayment of debt			0	0
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards			0	0
Dividends paid			(21)	(20)
Repurchase of common stock			0	0
Other			227	(550)
Net cash used in financing activities			206	(570)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(5,913)	(1,596)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents			(20,475)	(32,713)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			51,801	69,866
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	31,326	37,153	31,326	37,153
Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(73,155)	(70,330)	(233,155)	(215,950)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation			0	0
Amortization of intangible assets			0	0
Stock-based compensation			0	0
Deferred income taxes			0	0
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net			0	0
Inventories, net			6,583	(2,975)
Uniforms and other rental items in service			(3,004)	(98)
Prepaid expenses and other			0	0
Accounts payable			0	0
Accrued compensation and related liabilities			0	0
Accrued liabilities			786	804
Income taxes payable			0	0
Net cash provided by operating activities			(228,790)	(218,219)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities			0	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments			7,677	30,404
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired			0	0
Other			221,899	188,619
Net cash used in investing activities			229,576	219,023
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt			0
Repayment of debt			(786)	(804)
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards			0	0
Dividends paid			0	0
Repurchase of common stock			0	0
Other			0	0
Net cash used in financing activities			(786)	(804)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0