Supplemental Guarantor Information - Condensed Consolidating Income Statement (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Feb. 28, 2015	Feb. 28, 2014	Feb. 28, 2015	Feb. 28, 2014
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products	$ 859,520	$ 801,702	$ 2,581,820	$ 2,398,884
Other services	249,327ctas_RevenueOtherServices	309,271ctas_RevenueOtherServices	752,483ctas_RevenueOtherServices	936,266ctas_RevenueOtherServices
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	1,108,847us-gaap_Revenues	1,110,973us-gaap_Revenues	3,334,303us-gaap_Revenues	3,335,150us-gaap_Revenues
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products	476,092	450,086	1,424,661	1,363,929
Cost of other services	157,448ctas_CostOfOtherServices	191,253ctas_CostOfOtherServices	474,965ctas_CostOfOtherServices	578,413ctas_CostOfOtherServices
Selling and administrative expenses	301,690	317,873	915,989	949,224
Shredding transaction costs	0us-gaap_BusinessExitCosts1	2,158us-gaap_BusinessExitCosts1	0us-gaap_BusinessExitCosts1	2,158us-gaap_BusinessExitCosts1
Operating income	173,617us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	149,603us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	518,688us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	441,426us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business	0us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount	0us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount	6,619us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount	0us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment	0	0	21,739	0
Interest income	(96)us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest	(44)us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest	(168)us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest	(196)us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest
Interest expense (income)	16,254us-gaap_InterestExpense	16,418us-gaap_InterestExpense	48,766us-gaap_InterestExpense	49,426us-gaap_InterestExpense
Income before income taxes	157,459	133,229	498,448	392,196
Income taxes	57,052us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	48,903us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	184,548us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	146,016us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Loss on investment in Shred-it, net of tax	(6,771)	0	(7,027)	0
Income from continuing operations	93,636	84,326	306,873	246,180
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	1,247	276	18,530	1,038
Net income	94,883us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	84,602us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	325,403us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	247,218us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Cintas Corporation
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products	0	0	0	0
Other services	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income of affiliates	93,636	84,326	306,873	246,180
Total revenue	93,636	84,326	306,873	246,180
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products	0	0	0	0
Cost of other services	0	0	0	0
Selling and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Shredding transaction costs		0		0
Operating income	93,636	84,326	306,873	246,180
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business			0
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment			0
Interest income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	93,636	84,326	306,873	246,180
Income taxes	0	0	0	0
Loss on investment in Shred-it, net of tax	0		0
Income from continuing operations	93,636	84,326	306,873	246,180
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	1,247	276	18,530	1,038
Net income	94,883	84,602	325,403	247,218
Corp. 2
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products	658,474	608,699	1,981,518	1,829,199
Other services	341,642	386,389	1,047,605	1,192,130
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	1,000,116	995,088	3,029,123	3,021,329
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products	403,368	378,548	1,207,445	1,152,482
Cost of other services	229,047	251,499	702,927	776,196
Selling and administrative expenses	308,541	312,605	931,196	926,988
Shredding transaction costs		0		0
Operating income	59,160	52,436	187,555	165,663
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business			6,619
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment			0
Interest income	(2)	(12)	(12)	(31)
Interest expense (income)	16,356	16,407	49,200	49,355
Income before income taxes	42,806	36,041	144,986	116,339
Income taxes	13,124	13,098	51,152	43,234
Loss on investment in Shred-it, net of tax	(6,771)		(7,027)
Income from continuing operations	22,911	22,943	86,807	73,105
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	538	409	16,126	1,200
Net income	23,449	23,352	102,933	74,305
Subsidiary Guarantors
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products	179,817	165,658	537,248	493,208
Other services	7,894	8,929	23,074	26,643
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	187,711	174,587	560,322	519,851
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products	100,926	95,138	308,310	290,136
Cost of other services	(3,855)	(2,722)	(12,942)	(8,936)
Selling and administrative expenses	(18,421)	(11,294)	(51,585)	(27,116)
Shredding transaction costs		2,158		2,158
Operating income	109,061	91,307	316,539	263,609
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business			0
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment			21,739
Interest income	(77)	(31)	(140)	(156)
Interest expense (income)	(101)	18	(428)	78
Income before income taxes	109,239	91,320	338,846	263,687
Income taxes	42,797	33,382	128,643	98,070
Loss on investment in Shred-it, net of tax	0		0
Income from continuing operations	66,442	57,938	210,203	165,617
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	0
Net income	66,442	57,938	210,203	165,617
Non- Guarantors
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products	53,008	55,134	164,444	166,203
Other services	15,595	20,597	52,407	65,214
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	68,603	75,731	216,851	231,417
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products	35,792	37,498	111,692	115,520
Cost of other services	9,604	12,951	32,662	41,295
Selling and administrative expenses	18,526	20,992	56,050	62,980
Shredding transaction costs		0		0
Operating income	4,681	4,290	16,447	11,622
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business			0
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment			0
Interest income	(18)	(583)	(18)	(15,279)
Interest expense (income)	(1)	(7)	(6)	(7)
Income before income taxes	4,700	4,880	16,471	26,908
Income taxes	1,144	2,438	4,796	4,771
Loss on investment in Shred-it, net of tax	0		0
Income from continuing operations	3,556	2,442	11,675	22,137
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	709	(133)	2,404	(162)
Net income	4,265	2,309	14,079	21,975
Eliminations
Revenue:
Rental uniforms and ancillary products	(31,779)	(27,789)	(101,390)	(89,726)
Other services	(115,804)	(106,644)	(370,603)	(347,721)
Equity in net income of affiliates	(93,636)	(84,326)	(306,873)	(246,180)
Total revenue	(241,219)	(218,759)	(778,866)	(683,627)
Costs and expenses (income):
Cost of rental uniforms and ancillary products	(63,994)	(61,098)	(202,786)	(194,209)
Cost of other services	(77,348)	(70,475)	(247,682)	(230,142)
Selling and administrative expenses	(6,956)	(4,430)	(19,672)	(13,628)
Shredding transaction costs		0		0
Operating income	(92,921)	(82,756)	(308,726)	(245,648)
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business			0
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment			0
Interest income	1	582	2	15,270
Interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	(92,922)	(83,338)	(308,728)	(260,918)
Income taxes	(13)	(15)	(43)	(59)
Loss on investment in Shred-it, net of tax	0		0
Income from continuing operations	(92,909)	(83,323)	(308,685)	(260,859)
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	(1,247)	(276)	(18,530)	(1,038)
Net income	$ (94,156)	$ (83,599)	$ (327,215)	$ (261,897)

The aggregate costs related to the sale of and servicing of other services such as uniform direct sales, first aid, safety and fire protection services and document management services, including the costs of the products and the costs of the services rendered during the reporting period.

No definition available.