Supplemental Guarantor Information - Consolidating Condensed Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2018	Nov. 30, 2017	Nov. 30, 2018	Nov. 30, 2017
Revenue:
Revenue	$ 1,718,268	$ 1,606,441	$ 3,416,243	$ 3,217,944
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	1,718,268	1,606,441	3,416,243	3,217,944
Costs and expenses (income):
Selling and administrative expenses	491,671	468,084	996,305	954,367
G&K Services, Inc. integration expenses	7,847	13,074	12,697	17,045
Operating income	275,640	235,211	540,868	484,310
Gain on sale of a cost method investment	69,373	0	69,373	0
Interest income	(391)	(291)	(887)	(588)
Interest expense (income)	24,880	29,129	49,184	59,446
Income before income taxes	320,524	206,373	561,944	425,452
Income taxes	77,530	68,636	106,403	126,607
Income from continuing operations	242,994	137,737	455,541	298,845
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	19	(628)	(13)	55,475
Net income	243,013	137,109	455,528	354,320
Eliminations
Revenue:
Equity in net income of affiliates	(242,994)	(137,737)	(455,541)	(298,845)
Total revenue	(491,599)	(346,424)	(943,811)	(705,305)
Costs and expenses (income):
Selling and administrative expenses	(8,547)	(6,079)	(18,565)	(13,119)
G&K Services, Inc. integration expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income	(240,482)	(138,663)	(451,189)	(296,985)
Gain on sale of a cost method investment	0		0
Interest income	1	0	2	0
Interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	(240,483)	(138,663)	(451,191)	(296,985)
Income taxes	(37)	(25)	(58)	(44)
Income from continuing operations	(240,446)	(138,638)	(451,133)	(296,941)
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	(19)	628	13	(55,475)
Net income	(240,465)	(138,010)	(451,120)	(352,416)
Cintas Corporation | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Equity in net income of affiliates	242,994	137,737	455,541	298,845
Total revenue	242,994	137,737	455,541	298,845
Costs and expenses (income):
Selling and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
G&K Services, Inc. integration expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income	242,994	137,737	455,541	298,845
Gain on sale of a cost method investment	0		0
Interest income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	242,994	137,737	455,541	298,845
Income taxes	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations	242,994	137,737	455,541	298,845
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	19	(628)	(13)	55,475
Net income	243,013	137,109	455,528	354,320
Corp. 2 | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	1,656,199	1,522,206	3,286,618	3,049,377
Costs and expenses (income):
Selling and administrative expenses	536,276	528,369	1,081,186	1,039,324
G&K Services, Inc. integration expenses	5,973	4,192	8,649	5,713
Operating income	97,327	59,457	195,086	163,085
Gain on sale of a cost method investment	0		0
Interest income	(294)	(45)	(503)	(76)
Interest expense (income)	25,046	29,444	49,707	60,005
Income before income taxes	72,575	30,058	145,882	103,156
Income taxes	19,166	11,449	29,829	31,019
Income from continuing operations	53,409	18,609	116,053	72,137
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	19	(628)	(13)	64,374
Net income	53,428	17,981	116,040	136,511
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	182,926	170,007	366,132	335,209
Costs and expenses (income):
Selling and administrative expenses	(68,617)	(85,417)	(133,238)	(132,955)
G&K Services, Inc. integration expenses	1,270	8,319	3,133	10,754
Operating income	165,851	166,197	324,294	297,152
Gain on sale of a cost method investment	69,373		69,373
Interest income	(93)	(59)	(365)	(158)
Interest expense (income)	(173)	(313)	(535)	(452)
Income before income taxes	235,490	166,569	394,567	297,762
Income taxes	55,788	54,414	71,832	89,537
Income from continuing operations	179,702	112,155	322,735	208,225
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	(8,899)
Net income	179,702	112,155	322,735	199,326
Non- Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Equity in net income of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	127,748	122,915	251,763	239,818
Costs and expenses (income):
Selling and administrative expenses	32,559	31,211	66,922	61,117
G&K Services, Inc. integration expenses	604	563	915	578
Operating income	9,950	10,483	17,136	22,213
Gain on sale of a cost method investment	0		0
Interest income	(5)	(187)	(21)	(354)
Interest expense (income)	7	(2)	12	(107)
Income before income taxes	9,948	10,672	17,145	22,674
Income taxes	2,613	2,798	4,800	6,095
Income from continuing operations	7,335	7,874	12,345	16,579
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	0
Net income	7,335	7,874	12,345	16,579
Uniform Rental and Facility Services
Revenue:
Revenue	1,390,778	1,308,038	2,765,716	2,619,822
Cost of revenue	761,119	723,960	1,507,572	1,430,823
Uniform Rental and Facility Services | Eliminations
Revenue:
Revenue	(28,046)	(49,882)	(75,083)	(99,457)
Cost of revenue	(56,611)	(75,337)	(127,462)	(150,158)
Uniform Rental and Facility Services | Cintas Corporation | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	0	0	0	0
Cost of revenue	0	0	0	0
Uniform Rental and Facility Services | Corp. 2 | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	1,134,118	1,086,667	2,273,247	2,186,536
Cost of revenue	640,859	628,123	1,284,600	1,250,271
Uniform Rental and Facility Services | Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	182,876	170,320	366,039	335,215
Cost of revenue	111,555	105,954	221,105	204,973
Uniform Rental and Facility Services | Non- Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	101,830	100,933	201,513	197,528
Cost of revenue	65,316	65,220	129,329	125,737
Other
Revenue:
Revenue	327,490	298,403	650,527	598,122
Cost of revenue	181,991	166,112	358,801	331,399
Other | Eliminations
Revenue:
Revenue	(220,559)	(158,805)	(413,187)	(307,003)
Cost of revenue	(185,959)	(126,345)	(346,595)	(245,043)
Other | Cintas Corporation | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	0	0	0	0
Cost of revenue	0	0	0	0
Other | Corp. 2 | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	522,081	435,539	1,013,371	862,841
Cost of revenue	375,764	302,065	717,097	590,984
Other | Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	50	(313)	93	(6)
Cost of revenue	(27,133)	(25,046)	(49,162)	(44,715)
Other | Non- Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	25,918	21,982	50,250	42,290
Cost of revenue	$ 19,319	$ 15,438	$ 37,461	$ 30,173