Supplemental Guarantor Information - Consolidating Condensed Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Aug. 31, 2018	Jun. 01, 2018	May 31, 2018	Aug. 31, 2017	May 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 118,356		$ 138,724	$ 191,414	$ 169,266
Accounts receivable, net	838,192	$ 818,009	804,583
Inventories, net	303,770	269,082	280,347
Uniforms and other rental items in service	724,708		702,261
Income taxes, current	6,878		19,634
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	112,474	95,846	32,383
Total current assets	2,104,378	2,043,556	1,977,932
Property and equipment, net	1,394,634		1,382,730
Investments	180,262		175,581
Goodwill	2,850,082		2,846,888
Service contracts, net	535,865		545,768
Other assets, net	221,983	216,818	29,315
Total assets	7,287,204	7,211,341	6,958,214	6,851,606
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	214,011		215,074
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	84,308		140,654
Accrued liabilities	380,775		420,129
Total current liabilities	679,094		775,857
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	2,535,859		2,535,309
Deferred income taxes	424,344	416,516	352,581
Accrued liabilities	301,939		277,941
Total long-term liabilities	3,262,142	3,229,766	3,165,831
Total shareholders’ equity	3,345,968	3,205,718	3,016,526
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	7,287,204	$ 7,211,341	6,958,214
Eliminations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0		0
Inventories, net	782		0
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(17,210)		(18,589)
Income taxes, current	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0		0
Total current assets	(16,428)		(18,589)
Property and equipment, net	0		0
Investments	(6,409,479)		(6,407,479)
Goodwill	(112)		(112)
Service contracts, net	0		0
Other assets, net	(6,984,830)		(6,591,606)
Total assets	(13,410,849)		(13,017,786)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	38,249		37,947
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	0		0
Accrued liabilities	0		0
Total current liabilities	38,249		37,947
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	0		0
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Accrued liabilities	0		0
Total long-term liabilities	0		0
Total shareholders’ equity	(13,449,098)		(13,055,733)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	(13,410,849)		(13,017,786)
Cintas Corporation
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0		0
Inventories, net	0		0
Uniforms and other rental items in service	0		0
Income taxes, current	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0		0
Total current assets	0		0
Property and equipment, net	0		0
Investments	321,083		321,083
Goodwill	0		0
Service contracts, net	0		0
Other assets, net	2,559,638		2,230,196
Total assets	2,880,721		2,551,279
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(465,247)		(465,247)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	0		0
Accrued liabilities	0		0
Total current liabilities	(465,247)		(465,247)
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	0		0
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Accrued liabilities	0		0
Total long-term liabilities	0		0
Total shareholders’ equity	3,345,968		3,016,526
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	2,880,721		2,551,279
Corp. 2
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	46,600		44,499	47,909	48,658
Accounts receivable, net	652,912		620,920
Inventories, net	251,523		225,581
Uniforms and other rental items in service	595,908		585,108
Income taxes, current	524		5,546
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	73,940		9,453
Total current assets	1,621,407		1,491,107
Property and equipment, net	911,174		900,014
Investments	3,594,114		3,595,668
Goodwill	0		0
Service contracts, net	460,728		468,283
Other assets, net	195,144		593
Total assets	6,782,567		6,455,665
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(1,688,023)		(1,724,844)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	62,650		104,560
Accrued liabilities	103,729		88,949
Total current liabilities	(1,521,644)		(1,531,335)
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	2,535,469		2,534,919
Deferred income taxes	284,201		215,881
Accrued liabilities	63,073		63,073
Total long-term liabilities	2,882,743		2,813,873
Total shareholders’ equity	5,421,468		5,173,127
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	6,782,567		6,455,665
Investments, including intercompany investments	16,100		17,600
Subsidiary Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	48,565		60,310	39,477	17,302
Accounts receivable, net	117,386		120,767
Inventories, net	36,144		38,844
Uniforms and other rental items in service	89,399		81,494
Income taxes, current	788		9,258
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	37,288		21,688
Total current assets	329,570		332,361
Property and equipment, net	372,734		370,186
Investments	956,474		950,239
Goodwill	2,584,732		2,579,769
Service contracts, net	0		0
Other assets, net	4,446,682		4,381,476
Total assets	8,690,192		8,614,031
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	2,363,714		2,395,434
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	13,896		24,878
Accrued liabilities	258,085		308,485
Total current liabilities	2,635,695		2,728,797
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	0		0
Deferred income taxes	106,684		104,559
Accrued liabilities	222,286		198,181
Total long-term liabilities	328,970		302,740
Total shareholders’ equity	5,725,527		5,582,494
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	8,690,192		8,614,031
Investments, including intercompany investments	164,200		158,000
Non- Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	23,191		33,915	$ 104,028	$ 103,306
Accounts receivable, net	67,894		62,896
Inventories, net	15,321		15,922
Uniforms and other rental items in service	56,611		54,248
Income taxes, current	5,566		4,830
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,246		1,242
Total current assets	169,829		173,053
Property and equipment, net	110,726		112,530
Investments	1,718,070		1,716,070
Goodwill	265,462		267,231
Service contracts, net	75,137		77,485
Other assets, net	5,349		8,656
Total assets	2,344,573		2,355,025
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(34,682)		(28,216)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	7,762		11,216
Accrued liabilities	18,961		22,695
Total current liabilities	(7,959)		5,695
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	390		390
Deferred income taxes	33,459		32,141
Accrued liabilities	16,580		16,687
Total long-term liabilities	50,429		49,218
Total shareholders’ equity	2,302,103		2,300,112
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ 2,344,573		$ 2,355,025