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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended												1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Apr. 05, 2010	Aug. 27, 2011	Aug. 28, 2010	Aug. 29, 2009	Aug. 27, 2011 Definite-Lived Intangible Assets [Member]	Aug. 27, 2011 Customer Contracts [Member]	Aug. 27, 2011 Other Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Member]	Aug. 27, 2011 Stock Options [Member]	Aug. 30, 2003 Stock Options [Member]	Aug. 28, 2010 Stock Options, Non-Employee [Member]	Aug. 29, 2009 Stock Options, Non-Employee [Member]	Aug. 27, 2011 Restricted Stock Awards, Non-Employee [Member]	Aug. 28, 2010 Restricted Stock Awards, Non-Employee [Member]	Apr. 05, 2010 Performance Restricted Stock Awards [Member]	Apr. 05, 2010 Restricted Stock Awards, CEO [Member]	Aug. 27, 2011 Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member]
Business Description [Abstract]
Number of reporting segments		5	5	5
Inventories and Rental Merchandise in Service [Abstract]
Rental merchandise, useful life, minimum (in months)		6M
Rental merchandise, useful life, maximum (in months)		36M
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Abstract]
Weighted average useful life (in years)					13.7	14.2	5.6
Environmental and Other Contingencies [Abstract]
Discount rate, lower range (in hundredths)		2.20%
Discount rate, upper range (in hundredths)		3.50%
Discounted period, lower range (in years)		10Y
Discounted period, upper range (in years)		30Y
Inflation rate (in hundredths)		3.00%
Asset Retirement Obligations [Abstract]
Discount rate, lower range (in hundredths)		7.00%
Discount rate, upper range (in hundredths)		7.50%
Inflation rate (in hundredths)		3.00%
Range of years discount for estimated future costs to decommission its nuclear laundry facilities, minimum years		1Y
Range of years discount for estimated future costs to decommission its nuclear laundry facilities, maximum years (in years)		33Y
Advertising Costs [Abstract]
Advertising expense		$ 1.7	$ 1.5	$ 1.6
Net Income Per Share [Abstract]
Conversion basis		one-for-one basis
Stock-based Compensation [Abstract]
Number of shares authorized (in shares)								1,500,000
Vesting period (in years)								5Y	4Y			1Y	1Y	4Y	6Y
Expiration from grant date (in years)								10Y	8Y	8Y	10Y					1Y
Shares granted (in shares)												6,000	12,000	350,000	50,000	15,000
Fair value of the restricted shares granted	$ 51.39													$ 51.39
Common stock excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share (in shares)		116,487	118,800	213,100

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