Supplemental Guarantor Information (Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2013	Aug. 31, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 77,754	$ 76,733
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	42,571	40,342
Amortization of intangible assets	5,823	6,100
Stock-based compensation	6,984	5,448
Deferred income taxes	7,373	9,716
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	(14,903)	(7,128)
Inventories, net	(5,258)	9,889
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(4,150)	(8,672)
Prepaid expenses	(7,216)	(5,392)
Accounts payable	2,915	16,278
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	(34,777)	(50,793)
Accrued liabilities	(27,215)	(27,400)
Income taxes payable	32,658	29,744
Net cash provided by operating activities	82,559	94,865
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(37,462)	(47,438)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	35,233	24,720
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	(32,941)	(36,970)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(32,216)	(2,130)
Other	382	577
Net cash used in investing activities	(67,004)	(61,241)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0	250,000
Repayment of debt	(167)	(225,154)
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	14,085	1,119
Repurchase of common stock	(106,977)	(77,953)
Other	4,126	(3,491)
Net cash used in financing activities	(88,933)	(55,479)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(225)	1,247
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(73,603)	(20,608)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	352,273	339,825
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	278,670	319,217
Cintas Corporation [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	77,754	76,733
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Stock-based compensation	6,984	5,448
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	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	84,738	82,181
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	5,309	(7,928)
Net cash used in investing activities	5,309	(7,928)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	14,085	1,119
Repurchase of common stock	(106,977)	(77,953)
Other	2,845	2,581
Net cash used in financing activities	(90,047)	(74,253)
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
Corp. 2 [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	25,681	23,592
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	25,690	23,845
Amortization of intangible assets	5,318	5,127
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	(9,495)	(9,426)
Inventories, net	(8,071)	7,594
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(4,274)	(4,140)
Prepaid expenses	(81)	201
Accounts payable	(1,001)	(34,149)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	(24,197)	(35,526)
Accrued liabilities	(13,567)	(20,442)
Income taxes payable	5,897	5,845
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,900	(37,479)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(25,556)	(26,987)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	0	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	(67)	529
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(12,306)	(1,343)
Other	45,815	57,262
Net cash used in investing activities	7,886	29,461
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0	250,000
Repayment of debt	(416)	(225,384)
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	0	0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Other	488	(5,453)
Net cash used in financing activities	72	19,163
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	9,858	11,145
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	54,511	58,737
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	64,369	69,882
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	50,957	50,272
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	13,305	13,280
Amortization of intangible assets	41	75
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Deferred income taxes	7,735	9,764
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	(5,449)	(880)
Inventories, net	2,675	261
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(842)	(3,864)
Prepaid expenses	(7,416)	(5,478)
Accounts payable	4,147	53,816
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	(8,765)	(12,735)
Accrued liabilities	(11,060)	(4,977)
Income taxes payable	27,252	24,635
Net cash provided by operating activities	72,580	124,169
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(8,804)	(15,169)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	5,659	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	(23,946)	(1,244)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(1)	0
Other	(103,631)	(126,388)
Net cash used in investing activities	(130,723)	(142,801)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	953	(477)
Repayment of debt	1,016	1,016
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	0	0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	1,969	539
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(56,174)	(18,093)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	247,070	229,287
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	190,896	211,194
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	16,394	3,532
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	3,576	3,217
Amortization of intangible assets	464	898
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(362)	(48)
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	41	3,178
Inventories, net	426	271
Uniforms and other rental items in service	87	545
Prepaid expenses	281	(115)
Accounts payable	(231)	(3,389)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	(1,815)	(2,532)
Accrued liabilities	(3,355)	(2,767)
Income taxes payable	(491)	(736)
Net cash provided by operating activities	15,015	2,054
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(3,102)	(5,282)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	29,574	24,720
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	(33,818)	(35,445)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(19,909)	(787)
Other	(14,662)	(25)
Net cash used in investing activities	(41,917)	(16,819)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	(953)	477
Repayment of debt	0	0
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	0	0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Other	793	(619)
Net cash used in financing activities	(160)	(142)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(225)	1,247
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(27,287)	(13,660)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	50,692	51,801
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	23,405	38,141
Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(93,032)	(77,396)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by 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	(288)	1,763
Uniforms and other rental items in service	879	(1,213)
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	0	0
Accrued liabilities	767	786
Income taxes payable	0	0
Net cash provided by operating activities	(91,674)	(76,060)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	0	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	24,890	(810)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Other	67,551	77,656
Net cash used in investing activities	92,441	76,846
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	(767)	(786)
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	0	0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(767)	(786)
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