Supplemental Guarantor Information (Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2013	Nov. 30, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 162,616	$ 154,760
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
Depreciation	85,180	81,321
Amortization of intangible assets	11,741	11,973
Stock-based compensation	14,624	11,084
Deferred income taxes	9,299	23,351
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	(23,755)	(24,528)
Inventories, net	(9,232)	15,460
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(12,694)	(28,105)
Prepaid expenses	(1,776)	(202)
Accounts payable	(19,215)	23,019
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	(19,381)	(36,899)
Accrued liabilities	11,387	(4,570)
Income taxes payable	13,486	599
Net cash provided by operating activities	222,280	227,263
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(76,785)	(99,062)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	45,114	41,453
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	(55,413)	(80,054)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(32,514)	(53,243)
Other	(929)	(673)
Net cash used in investing activities	(120,527)	(191,579)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0	250,000
Repayment of debt	(7,837)	(225,312)
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	21,311	2,357
Repurchase of common stock	(164,200)	(159,175)
Other	6,323	(2,476)
Net cash used in financing activities	(144,403)	(134,606)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(289)	1,584
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(42,939)	(97,338)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	352,273	339,825
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	309,334	242,487
Cintas Corporation
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	162,616	154,760
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	14,624	11,084
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	177,240	165,844
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	0	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments		0
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Other	(37,637)	(11,749)
Net cash used in investing activities	(37,637)	(11,749)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	21,311	2,357
Repurchase of common stock	(164,200)	(159,175)
Other	3,286	2,723
Net cash used in financing activities	(139,603)	(154,095)
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
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	50,953	50,563
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
Depreciation	51,331	48,061
Amortization of intangible assets	10,683	10,318
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	(1)
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	(18,508)	(20,450)
Inventories, net	(15,354)	9,838
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(10,679)	(15,915)
Prepaid expenses	484	152
Accounts payable	(27,917)	(41,309)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	(13,303)	(26,353)
Accrued liabilities	2,366	(7,450)
Income taxes payable	13,163	10,815
Net cash provided by operating activities	43,219	18,269
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(53,379)	(57,660)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	0	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	(1,034)	557
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(12,364)	(51,984)
Other	45,550	57,625
Net cash used in investing activities	(21,227)	(51,462)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0	250,000
Repayment of debt	(8,086)	(225,542)
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	0	0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Other	976	(4,965)
Net cash used in financing activities	(7,110)	19,493
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	(1)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	14,882	(13,701)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	54,511	58,737
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	69,393	45,036
Subsidiary Guarantors
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	107,679	103,498
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
Depreciation	26,590	26,608
Amortization of intangible assets	83	117
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Deferred income taxes	9,553	23,065
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	(3,886)	(7,242)
Inventories, net	5,503	(2,262)
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(1,888)	(8,877)
Prepaid expenses	(3,146)	(1,170)
Accounts payable	7,208	63,503
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	(5,217)	(9,260)
Accrued liabilities	10,523	4,532
Income taxes payable	1,038	(8,365)
Net cash provided by operating activities	154,040	184,147
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(17,113)	(29,923)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	5,659	1,065
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	(35,506)	(17,931)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(125)	0
Other	(146,725)	(201,693)
Net cash used in investing activities	(193,810)	(248,482)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	2,109	0
Repayment of debt	1,024	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	3,133	1,016
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	1,485
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(36,637)	(61,834)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	247,070	229,287
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	210,433	167,453
Non-Guarantors
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	19,666	5,939
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
Depreciation	7,259	6,652
Amortization of intangible assets	975	1,538
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(254)	287
Change in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions of businesses:
Accounts receivable, net	(1,361)	3,164
Inventories, net	506	687
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(1,009)	(1,244)
Prepaid expenses	886	816
Accounts payable	1,494	825
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	(861)	(1,286)
Accrued liabilities	(2,269)	(2,438)
Income taxes payable	(715)	(1,851)
Net cash provided by operating activities	24,317	13,089
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(6,293)	(11,479)
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	39,455	40,388
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	(43,699)	(64,295)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(20,025)	(1,259)
Other	(14,594)	1,887
Net cash used in investing activities	(45,156)	(34,758)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of debt	(2,109)	0
Repayment of debt	(8)	0
Exercise of stock-based compensation awards	0	0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Other	2,061	(234)
Net cash used in financing activities	(56)	(234)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(289)	100
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(21,184)	(21,803)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	50,692	51,801
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	29,508	29,998
Eliminations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(178,298)	(160,000)
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	113	7,197
Uniforms and other rental items in service	882	(2,069)
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	(176,536)	(154,086)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from redemption of marketable securities	0	0
Purchase of marketable securities and investments	24,826	1,615
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Other	152,477	153,257
Net cash used in investing activities	177,303	154,872
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