Page 1 of 11
Exhibit Index on Page 2

FORM 11-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


Annual Report Pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934




(Mark One)

  [X]   ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
        EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 [FEE REQUIRED].
             For the fiscal year ended:  December 31, 1995

  OR

  [  ]  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
        EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 [NO FEE REQUIRED].
             For the transition period from       to



Commission file number     1- 3208

  A.    Full title of the plan and the address of the plan, if
        different from that of the issuer named below:
        
        National Service Industries Retirement and 401(k) Plan

  B.    Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the plan and
        the address of the principal executive office:
        
        National Service Industries, Inc.
        1420 Peachtree Street, NE
        Atlanta, Georgia 30309

   

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REQUIRED INFORMATION

The following documents are filed as a part of this report:

1.   Financial Statements

  
     Plan financial statements prepared in accordance with
     the financial reporting requirements of ERISA include the following:
  
     Report of Independent Public Accountants
     
     Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits, with Fund Information,  as
     of December 31, 1995 and 1994.
     
     Statement of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits for
     the Year Ended December 31, 1995.
  
     Notes to Financial Statements

2.   Exhibits
                                                             Sequentially
                                                               Numbered
     The following exhibit is filed with this report:            Page

     23     Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP                        11



SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the trustees (or other persons who administer the employee benefit
plan) have duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                              National Service Industires 
                              Retirement and 401(k) Plan

Date: June 28, 1996           By:   National Service Industries, Inc.
                                    Plan Administrator

                              By:    /s/ James S. Balloun
                              Name:  James S. Balloun
                              Title: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer



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                    REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS



To the Plan Administrator of
National Service Industries
Retirement and 401(k) Plan:


We have audited the accompanying statements of net assets available for benefits
of the NATIONAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES RETIREMENT AND 401(k) PLAN as of December 31,
1995 and 1994 and the related  statement of changes in net assets  available for
benefits,  with fund  information,  for the year ended December 31, 1995.  These
financial  statements  are the  responsibility  of the  Plan's  management.  Our
responsibility  is to express an opinion on these financial  statements based on
our audits.

We  conducted  our  audits  in  accordance  with  generally   accepted  auditing
standards.  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement.  An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.  An audit also includes
assessing the  accounting  principles  used and  significant  estimates  made by
management,  as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion,  the financial  statements  referred to above present fairly, in
all material  respects,  the net assets available for benefits of the Plan as of
December 31, 1995 and 1994 and the changes in net assets  available for benefits
for the year ended  December  31, 1995 in  conformity  with  generally  accepted
accounting principles.

Our audits  were  performed  for the  purpose of forming an opinion on the basic
financial  statements taken as a whole. The fund information in the statement of
changes in net assets  available  for benefits is  presented  for the purpose of
additional  analysis rather than to present the changes in net assets  available
for  benefits  of each fund.  The fund  information  has been  subjected  to the
auditing procedures applied in the audits of the basic financial statements and,
in our opinion,  is fairly  stated in all  material  respects in relation to the
basic financial statements taken as a whole.


/s/ Arthur Andersen LLP
    Arthur Andersen LLP


Atlanta, Georgia
May 31, 1996



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                           NATIONAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES

                           RETIREMENT AND 401(k) PLAN


                 STATEMENTS OF NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS

                           DECEMBER 31, 1995 AND 1994




                                                             1995          1994


INVESTMENT IN NSI DC TRUST, at fair value (Note 2):
    Diversified Equity Fund ............................    $271,482    $140,512
    NSI Stock Fund .....................................     140,684      63,505
    Balanced Fund ......................................     120,197      59,427
    Stable Value Fund ..................................      26,259      18,133
    International Fund .................................      21,464           0
    Loan Fund ..........................................      11,703           0
NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS ......................    $591,789    $281,577










        The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.

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                           NATIONAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES

                           RETIREMENT AND 401(k) PLAN

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS, WITH FUND INFORMATION,

                      FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1995






                                                  -----------------Participant-Directed--------------------- Nonparticipant-
                                                             Diversified   Stable    NSI                        Directed
                                                  Balanced     Equity      Value    Stock     Loan      Int'l   NSI Stock
                                                  Fund          Fund       Fund     Fund      Fund      Fund      Fund      Total
                                                                                                  

CONTRIBUTIONS:
    Employer .................................... $       0  $       0  $      0  $      0  $      0  $      0  $ 46,918  $  46,918
    Participant .................................    51,670    111,734    27,370    22,818         0    11,188         0    224,780
              Total contributions ...............    51,670    111,734    27,370    22,818         0    11,188    46,918    271,698
NET GAIN FROM INVESTMENT IN NSI DC TRUST ........    21,458     58,561     2,120    10,191       490       861    15,848    109,529
BENEFITS PAID TO PARTICIPANTS ...................    (7,494)   (31,861)   (3,052)     (467)        0      (204)   (4,028)   (47,106)
INTRAPLAN TRANSFERS .............................    (4,828)       353   (16,858)     (499)   12,213     9,619         0          0
OTHER ...........................................       (36)    (7,817)   (1,454)   (7,084)   (1,000)        0    (6,518)   (23,909)
NET INCREASE ....................................    60,770    130,970     8,126    24,959    11,703    21,464    52,220    310,212
NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS,
December 31, 1994 ...............................    59,427    140,512    18,133    25,661         0         0    37,844    281,577
NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS,
December 31, 1995 ............................... $ 120,197  $ 271,482  $ 26,259  $ 50,620  $ 11,703  $ 21,464  $ 90,064  $ 591,789







         The accompanying notes are an integral part of this statement.


Page 6


                           NATIONAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES

                           RETIREMENT AND 401(k) PLAN


                          NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                           DECEMBER 31, 1995 AND 1994



  1.  PLAN DESCRIPTION

     The  following  brief  description  of  the  National  Service   Industries
     Retirement  and 401(k) Plan (the  "Plan") of National  Service  Industries,
     Inc. (the "Company" or "NSI") is provided for informational  purposes only.
     Participants   should  refer  to  the  plan  agreement  for  more  complete
     information.

      General

     The Plan is a defined contribution plan established under the provisions of
     Section 401(a)  of the  Internal  Revenue  Code  ("IRC")  which  covers all
     nonunion, full-time salaried employees of the Company who have attained the
     age of 20.5 with at least six months of service.

      Contributions

     Participants  may  elect to  contribute  between  1% and 10% of  before-tax
     compensation,  as defined in the Plan, subject to certain limitations under
     the IRC. Matching  contributions are made by the Company in an amount equal
     to  50%  of  the  participant's  contribution  up to  the  lesser  of 4% of
     compensation or $500 in a plan year. Additional  discretionary  amounts, as
     determined  by the board of  directors of NSI,  may be  contributed  by the
     Company and are allocated to participants at the discretion of the Company.
     Effective  January 1,  1996, the maximum  matching  contribution for a plan
     year is $1,000.

      Vesting

     Participants  are always  fully vested in their  individual  contributions.
     Vesting of employer  contributions  occurs on an  increasing  scale ranging
     from 10% vesting  after two years of service,  as defined,  to 100% vesting
     after  seven  years  of  service.   Nonvested  employer  contributions  are
     forfeited upon withdrawal or termination, as defined, from the Plan and are
     used to reduce future employer contributions.

      Administration

     Under a trust agreement dated September 1,  1993, as amended, Wachovia Bank
     of Georgia,  N.A.  was  appointed  trustee of the NSI Defined  Contribution
     Plans Master Trust (the "NSI DC Trust").

Page 7

     All  administrative  expenses of the Plan were paid by the  Company  during
     1995.

      Participants' Accounts

     Individual  accounts are maintained for each of the Plan's  participants to
     reflect the particular  participant's  contributions  and related  employer
     contributions,  as well as the participant's share of the Plan's income and
     any related administrative expenses.

     Effective  with the  change  in 1995 from  monthly  to daily  valuation  of
     participant  accounts,  the  Plan  assigns  units to its  participants.  At
     December 31, 1995, 60,829 units were assigned to plan  participants.  Unit
     values for each investment fund were as follows at December 31, 1995:

                  Stable Value Fund                   $10.59
                  Diversified Equity Fund              10.57
                  Balanced Fund                        22.95
                  NSI Stock Fund                       12.39
                  International Fund                    4.59


      Investment in NSI DC Trust

     The Plan's  assets are  commingled  in the NSI DC Trust  together  with the
     assets of certain defined  contribution  plans of other NSI divisions.  The
     investments  of the NSI DC Trust  are  subject  to  certain  administrative
     guidelines  and  limitations  as to type and  amount  of  securities  held.
     Certain  fund  assets are  allocated  to  selected  independent  investment
     managers to invest under these general guidelines.

      Investment Options

     The  separate  investment  options  made  available  under  the Plan may be
     changed,  eliminated,  or  modified  from  time to  time by the  investment
     committee  for  the  NSI  DC  Trust.  Participants  make  their  investment
     elections  in  5%  increments,  with  changes  allowed  on a  daily  basis.
     Participants   may  not  direct  the  investment  of  company  matching  or
     discretionary  contributions.  These are  invested  in the NSI Stock  Fund
     discussed below.

      The separate investment options offered by the Plan are as follows:

     * Diversified  Equity Fund. This fund is a diversified  stock fund designed
       to invest in a broad range of common stocks providing capital growth.

     * Stable  Value Fund.  This is a fixed  income  fund  designed to provide a
       steady level of current income while focusing on preservation of
       principal.

     * Balanced  Fund.  This fund is invested in a changing mix of  high-quality
       stocks and bonds.  The fund is  designed  to provide  capital  growth and
       current income while limiting the risk of principal loss.

     * NSI Stock Fund.  This fund is invested in NSI common  stock,  although it
       may hold other  short-term  investments  from time to time. A participant
       may not direct more than 50% of his/her account balance to be invested in
       this fund.

     * International  Fund.  This fund is  invested  in the  stock of non-U.  S.
       companies and is designed to provide long-term growth.

      Loans to Participants

     The  Plan  permits  loans  to  participants  up to the  lower of 50% of the
     participant's  vested account balance or $50,000.  Participants  have up to
     five years to pay back the  principal  and interest  unless the loan is for
     the purchase of a primary  residence,  in which case the  repayment  period

Page 8

     will be established at the time the loan is approved.  Loan processing fees
     are charged directly to the participant's account.  Interest rates on loans
     to  participants  are  based  on  market  rates as  determined  by the plan
     administrator.

      Benefits

     A participant  is entitled to receive the  distribution  of his/her  vested
     account  balance  upon  death,  disability,  or  retirement  (age 65) or in
     installments at the participant's election if he/she is age 55 or older and
     his/her vested balance is greater than $3,500. A participant who terminated
     employment  with the  Company  for other than these  reasons is entitled to
     receive  his/her  contributions  in a lump sum as soon as  administratively
     feasible.

     Benefits  are payable in cash,  except that any portion of a  participant's
     account  balance which is invested in the NSI Stock Fund is  distributed in
     the form of shares of NSI common  stock,  with  fractional  shares  paid in
     cash.

     Hardship  withdrawals  may be made  upon  proven  financial  hardship  of a
     participant  as defined in the plan  agreement  and  approved by the Plan's
     retirement committee.

      Plan Termination

     Although  the  Company  intends  for the  Plan to be  permanent,  the  Plan
     provides that the Company has the right to discontinue  contributions or to
     terminate  the Plan at  any time.  In the  event  of Plan termination, each
     participant  shall be vested in the balance of his/her  account and his/her
     proportionate share of any future adjustments.


  2.  SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

      Basis of Accounting

     The accounts of the Plan are maintained by the trustee on the cash basis of
     accounting.  The accompanying financial statements have been prepared using
     the accrual method of accounting by application of memorandum entries.  The
     preparation  of the  financial  statements  in  conformity  with  generally
     accepted  accounting  principles  requires  the  Plan's  management  to use
     estimates and assumptions that affect the accompanying financial statements
     and disclosures. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

      Investment Valuation

     Investments  of the NSI DC  Trust,  except  for the  guaranteed  investment
     contracts  ("GICs"),  are stated at fair value as determined by the trustee
     from quoted market  prices.  Securities  traded on a national  exchange are
     valued at the last  reported  sales price on the last  business  day of the
     plan year;  investments  traded in the  over-the-counter  market and listed
     securities  for which no sale was reported on the last day of the plan year
     are valued at the last reported bid price.

Page 9


     GICs  included  in the master  trust are fully  benefit-responsive  and are
     therefore  carried at contract  value (cost plus  accrued  interest) in the
     accompanying  financial statements in accordance with Statement of Position
     94-4. At December 31, 1995,  contract  value  approximates  fair value.  At
     December 31, 1995, the weighted average crediting  interest rate was 6.77%.
     For the year ended  December 31, 1995, the annual yield on the GICS held by
     the NSI DC  Trust  was  6.9%.  For  certain  contracts  held by the  trust,
     crediting interest rates may be changed in the event of certain events such
     as early retirements,  plant closings, etc., but in no case are adjusted to
     a rate less than 0%.

     GICs are  subject  to credit  risk based on the  ability  of the  insurance
     company to meet  interest or principal  payments,  or both,  as they become
     due.


  3.  NSI DC TRUST

      Investment Income

     Investment  income of the NSI DC Trust for the year ended December 31, 1995
     is summarized as follows:

Dividends on common stock ...................................      $    245,288
Interest income .............................................         4,597,435
Net appreciation in fair value of common stock ..............         1,408,275
Net income from mutual fund .................................        11,982,057
Net income from common/collective trust .....................        10,492,727
Net income from pooled separate account .....................            21,986
Investment expenses .........................................          (274,795)
              Net investment income .........................      $ 28,472,973

              

     The  investment  income of the NSI DC Trust for the year ended December 31,
     1995 is allocated to participating plans as follows:

          National Service Industries Retirement and 401(k) Plan ..  $   109,529
          All other NSI plans .....................................   28,363,444
                        Total .....................................  $28,472,973


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Net Assets

     Net  assets of the NSI DC Trust are as  follows at  December  31,  1995 and
     1994:

                                                         1995              1994


Mutual fund ................................    $  47,636,487     $  32,108,552
Common/collective trust ....................       48,146,903        34,036,863
Guaranteed investment contracts ............       55,129,605        52,672,980
Loans receivable from participants .........        6,104,302         5,145,365
NSI common stock ...........................        7,637,554         4,925,868
Money market fund ..........................        1,377,443         3,343,227
Pooled separate account ....................          871,467                 0
                                                  166,903,761       132,232,855
Cash .......................................          127,031                 0
                                                  167,030,792       132,232,855
Accrued investment income ..................           76,779            74,167
Adjustments for pending trades .............         (211,964)         (149,089)
Other ......................................           49,961             7,738
              Net assets ...................    $ 166,945,568     $ 132,165,671


                
     The allocation of the net assets of the NSI DC Trust to participating plans
     is based on participant balances and is as follows as of December 31,  1995
     and 1994:

                                                             1995           1994


National Service Industries Retirement and
    401(k) Plan ..................................   $    591,789   $    281,577

All other plans ..................................    166,353,779    131,884,094

              Total ..............................   $166,945,568   $132,165,671


               
     Investment in NSI Common Stock

     As  of  December   31,  1995  and  1994,   approximately   4.6%  and  3.7%,
     respectively,  of the NSI DC Trust's net assets were invested in the common
     stock of NSI, a party in interest to the Plan.


  4.  TAX STATUS

     The Plan has received a determination  letter dated  October 25,  1995 from
     the Internal  Revenue  Service stating that the plan was in accordance with
     plan design  requirements as of that date. The plan administrator  believes
     that the Plan is  currently  designed and is being  operated in  compliance
     with  the  applicable   requirements  of  the  IRC.  Therefore,   the  plan
     administrator  believes  that the Plan was  qualified  and that the related
     trust was tax-exempt as of December 31, 1995 and 1994.