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Investments - Narrative (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Feb. 28, 2015
Feb. 28, 2014
Feb. 28, 2015
Feb. 28, 2014
Jun. 30, 2014
May 31, 2014
Apr. 30, 2014
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]              
Investments $ 445,538,000us-gaap_Investments   $ 445,538,000us-gaap_Investments     $ 458,357,000us-gaap_Investments  
Cash surrender value of insurance policies 96,900,000us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueOfLifeInsurance   96,900,000us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueOfLifeInsurance     86,500,000us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueOfLifeInsurance  
Cost method investments 2,200,000us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments   2,200,000us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments     800,000us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments  
Losses due to impairment 0us-gaap_ImpairmentOfInvestments 0us-gaap_ImpairmentOfInvestments 0us-gaap_ImpairmentOfInvestments 0us-gaap_ImpairmentOfInvestments      
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business 0us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount 0us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount 6,619,000us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount 0us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount      
Loss on investment in Shred-it, net of tax 6,771,000ctas_IncomeLossfromEquityMethodInvestmentsNetofTax 0ctas_IncomeLossfromEquityMethodInvestmentsNetofTax 7,027,000ctas_IncomeLossfromEquityMethodInvestmentsNetofTax 0ctas_IncomeLossfromEquityMethodInvestmentsNetofTax      
Dividends received on equity method investment     5,247,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromEquityMethodInvestmentDividendsOrDistributionsReturnOfCapital 0us-gaap_ProceedsFromEquityMethodInvestmentDividendsOrDistributionsReturnOfCapital      
Shred-it Partnership              
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]              
Equity method investments 330,200,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ctas_ShreditPartnershipMember
  330,200,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ctas_ShreditPartnershipMember
    341,400,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ctas_ShreditPartnershipMember
 
Percentage of newly formed partnership owned by Cintas             42.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ctas_ShreditPartnershipMember
Equity method investment, recorded at fair value             339,400,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentsFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ctas_ShreditPartnershipMember
Loss on investment in Shred-it, net of tax 6,771,000ctas_IncomeLossfromEquityMethodInvestmentsNetofTax
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ctas_ShreditPartnershipMember
  7,000,000ctas_IncomeLossfromEquityMethodInvestmentsNetofTax
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ctas_ShreditPartnershipMember
       
Other Equity Method Investments              
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]              
Equity method investments 16,200,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ctas_OtherEquityMethodInvestmentsMember
  16,200,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ctas_OtherEquityMethodInvestmentsMember
    29,700,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ctas_OtherEquityMethodInvestmentsMember
 
Dividends received on equity method investment         5,200,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromEquityMethodInvestmentDividendsOrDistributionsReturnOfCapital
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ctas_OtherEquityMethodInvestmentsMember
   
Cash received from sale of equity method investment         35,200,000ctas_EquityMethodInvestmentGrossTransactionProceeds
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ctas_OtherEquityMethodInvestmentsMember
   
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment, net of tax     $ 13,600,000ctas_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossonDisposalNetofTax
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ctas_OtherEquityMethodInvestmentsMember