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                                                 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                                 Company contacts:
  July 14, 1997                                  Brock A. Hattox, CFO
                                                 (404) 853-1215
                                                 Chester J. Popkowski, Treasurer
                                                 (404) 853-1405
 

                           NATIONAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES
                                                        
          NSI RECEIVES $280 MILLION; SELLS 29 TEXTILE RENTAL FACILITIES
                                                          

     Atlanta, GA -- National Service Industries (NYSE: NSI) announced today that
it closed the  previously  announced  sale of 29 uniform and linen plants in its
National  Linen unit to G&K  Services,  Inc.  for $280  million in cash plus the
assumption  of  certain  liabilities,  subject  to  a  post-closing  adjustment.
National Linen will continue to be the leading  textile  rental  provider to the
dining,  healthcare  and  lodging  industries.  The  final  accounting  for this
transaction  will be included in NSI's  fiscal  fourth  quarter  results. 

                                      * * *

     National  Service  Industries,  Inc.,  with  fiscal year 1996 sales of $2.0
billion,  has four  business  segments -- lighting  equipment,  textile  rental,
chemicals  and  envelopes.  NSI has reported  increased  income and earnings per
share  in 33 of  the  last  35  years.  Dividends  have  been  increased  for 35
consecutive years and paid for the past 61 years without a decrease.