Page 1 of 13
                                                         Exhibit Index on Page 2

                                   FORM 11-K

                                 UNITED STATES

                       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.
             For the fiscal year ended:  December 31, 1998

  OR

  [ ]   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
        ACT OF 1934.
             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:

        Selig Chemical Industries Retirement 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



Page 2

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 as of December 31, 1998 and
     1997

     Statement  of Changes  in Net  Assets  Available  for  Benefits,  with Fund
     Information, for the Year Ended December 31, 1998

     Notes to Financial Statements

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

     23     Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP                        13



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.

                             Selig Chemical Industires Retirement Plan


Date: June 30, 1999           By:   National Service Industries, Inc.
                                    Plan Administrator

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


                                                                          Page 3
                    SELIG CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES RETIREMENT PLAN

              FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1998 AND 1997
                                  TOGETHER WITH
                                AUDITORS' REPORT



Page 4


                    REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS



To the Plan Administrator of
Selig Chemical Industries Retirement Plan:


We have audited the accompanying statements of net assets available for benefits
of SELIG CHEMICAL  INDUSTRIES  RETIREMENT  PLAN as of December 31, 1998 and 1997
and the related statement of changes in net assets available for benefits,  with
fund  information,  for the  year  ended  December  31,  1998.  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, 1998 and 1997 and the changes in net assets  available for benefits
for the year ended  December  31, 1998 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.

                                                   ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP

Atlanta, Georgia
April 29, 1999



                                                                          Page 5


                    SELIG CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES RETIREMENT PLAN


                 STATEMENTS OF NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS

                           DECEMBER 31, 1998 AND 1997









                                                                                                  
                                                                                          1998               1997
                                                                                     -------------      -------------
INVESTMENT IN NSI DC TRUST, at fair value (Notes 2 and 3):
       Balanced Fund                                                                 $  3,307,938       $  3,293,444
       Diversified Equity Fund                                                          4,054,748          3,417,242
       Stable Value Fund                                                                3,102,909          2,553,620
       NSI Stock Fund                                                                   1,086,281          1,167,664
       Loan Fund                                                                          502,689            394,796
       International Fund                                                                  80,251            134,217
       Index Fund                                                                         920,221            728,339
       Small Company Fund                                                                 719,824            503,158
       Bond Index Fund                                                                        191                  0
                                                                                     -------------      -------------
              Total investment                                                         13,775,052         12,192,480

CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVABLE:
    Employer                                                                              167,808            157,510
    Participant                                                                            38,256             38,485
                                                                                     -------------      -------------
              Total contributions receivable                                              206,064            195,995
                                                                                     -------------      -------------
REFUNDS PAYABLE TO PARTICIPANTS                                                           (25,578)                 0
                                                                                     -------------      -------------
NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS                                                    $ 13,955,538       $ 12,388,475
                                                                                     =============      =============








The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.



Page 6


                    SELIG CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES RETIREMENT PLAN


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

                      FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1998






                                                                                       


                                     Diversified  Stable      NSI                                  Small  Bond
                          Balanced     Equity     Value      Stock      Loan     Int'l   Index    Company Index
                            Fund        Fund      Fund       Fund       Fund     Fund     Fund     Fund   Fund Other      Total
                          ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- -------- -------- -------- -------- ---- -------- -----------
CONTRIBUTIONS:
   Employer, net of
       forfeitures        $   40,895 $   45,146 $   29,893 $   24,437 $      0 $  3,339 $  8,995 $  4,805 $  0 $ 10,298 $   167,808
   Participant               123,172    168,813     89,564     79,038        0    9,672   54,593   22,951  337  (25,807)    522,333
                          ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- -------- -------- -------- -------- ---- -------- -----------
      Total contributions    164,067    213,959    119,457    103,475        0   13,011   63,588   27,756  337  (15,509)    690,141

NET GAIN (LOSS)
   FROM INVESTMENT
     IN NSI
       DC TRUST (Note 3)     427,739    944,158    193,571   (199,712)       0   (1,738) 209,778  115,961  603        0   1,690,360

BENEFITS PAID
   TO PARTICIPANTS          (182,078)  (296,654)  (101,892)  (131,670) (47,917)  (2,171) (48,149)  (2,907)   0        0    (813,438)

INTRAPLAN TRANSFERS         (395,234)  (223,957)   338,153    146,524  155,810  (63,068) (33,335)  75,856 (749)       0           0
                          ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- -------- -------- -------- -------- ---- -------- -----------
NET INCREASE (DECREASE)       14,494    637,506    549,289    (81,383) 107,893  (53,966) 191,882  216,666  191  (15,509)  1,567,063

NET ASSETS AVAILABLE
FOR BENEFITS,
   December 31, 1997       3,293,444  3,417,242  2,553,620  1,167,664  394,796  134,217  728,339  503,158    0  195,995  12,388,475
                          ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- -------- -------- -------- -------- ---- -------- -----------
NET ASSETS AVAILABLE
FOR BENEFITS,
   December 31, 1998      $3,307,938 $4,054,748 $3,102,909 $1,086,281 $502,689 $ 80,251 $920,221 $719,824 $191 $180,486 $13,955,538
                          ========== ========== ========== ========== ======== ======== ======== ======== ==== ======== ===========







The accompanying notes are an integral part of this statement.



                                                                          Page 7



                    SELIG CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES RETIREMENT PLAN


                          NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                           DECEMBER 31, 1998 AND 1997



1.   PLAN DESCRIPTION

     The  following  is a brief  description  of the Selig  Chemical  Industries
     Retirement Plan (the "Plan") of the Selig Chemical Industries Division (the
     "Company") of National Service Industries,  Inc. of Georgia, a wholly owned
     subsidiary of National Service Industries,  Inc. ("NSI").  This description
     is provided for informational  purposes only.  Participants should refer to
     the plan agreement for more complete information.

     General

     The Plan,  as  amended  and  restated  effective  September  1, 1989 and as
     further  amended through  January 1, 1994, is a defined  contribution  plan
     established  under the provisions of Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue
     Code ("IRC"). The Plan covers all salaried and nonunion hourly employees of
     the Company who have attained the age of 21 and have  completed one year of
     service  consisting  of at least  1,000  hours of  employment.  The Plan is
     subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
     1974, as amended.

     Contributions

     Contributions  are  made  by the  Company  and  participants  of the  Plan.
     Participants  may  elect to  contribute  between  2% and 15% of  before-tax
     compensation,  as defined in the Plan, subject to certain limitations under
     the IRC. The Company  contributes an amount equal to 5% of net profits,  as
     defined,  which may be increased by a resolution  of the board of directors
     of NSI.  Company  contributions  are  allocated  to  participants  who made
     elective  deferrals  to the Plan during the plan year,  are employed on the
     last day of the plan  year,  and have  completed  one year of  service,  as
     defined.  Allocations  are  made  based  on  a  participant's  compensation
     (maximum of $40,000 per  participant)  relative to the  compensation of all
     qualifying participants.

     Vesting

     Participants  are always  fully vested in their  individual  contributions.
     Vesting of employer  contributions  occurs on an increasing scale,  ranging
     from 20% vesting after three years of service,  as defined, to 100% vesting
     after seven years of service.  Forfeitures  of employer  contributions  are
     allocated  among the remaining  participants  in the same manner as company
     contributions.

Page 8


     Administration

     The  responsibility  for  administration  of the Plan rests with the Plan's
     retirement committee,  which is appointed by the board of directors of NSI.
     All administrative expenses of the Plan were paid by the Company during the
     year ended December 31, 1998.

     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 investment management fees and expenses.

     The Plan's investment fund balances are expressed in units. At December 31,
     1998 and 1997, 1,230,408 and 1,084,922 units,  respectively,  were assigned
     to plan participants.  Unit values for each investment fund were as follows
     at December 31, 1998 and 1997:


                                                                                   
                                                                               1998       1997
                                                                            ---------  ---------
                       Balanced Fund                                        $  37.82   $  33.18
                       Diversified Equity Fund                                 15.71      14.04
                       Stable Value Fund                                       12.84      12.07
                       NSI Stock Fund                                          15.47      19.61
                       International Fund                                      17.76       4.82
                       Index Fund                                             112.85      89.56
                       Small Company Fund                                      11.58      11.21
                       Bond Index Fund                                         11.16        N/A


     Investment in Master Trust

     Under a trust agreement dated September 1, 1993, as amended,  Wachovia Bank
     of Georgia,  N.A.  was  appointed  trustee of the NSI Defined  Contribution
     Plan's  Master  Trust  (the "NSI DC  Trust").  Effective  January  1, 1998,
     INVESCO Trust Company was appointed trustee of the 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 the 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 of the NSI DC Trust. Participants make their investment elections
     in 5% increments, with changes allowed on a daily basis.

                                                                          Page 9

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

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

          o    Stable  Value  Fund.  This is a fixed  income  fund  designed  to
               provide  a steady  level of  current  income  while  focusing  on
               preservation of principal.  This fund is managed by INVESCO Trust
               Company or its affiliates.

          o    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. This fund is managed by INVESCO Trust Company or
               its affiliates.

          o    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.

          o    International  Fund.  This  fund  is  invested  in the  stock  of
               non-U.S.  companies and is designed to provide  long-term growth.
               During 1998, the investment committee of the NSI DC Trust changed
               the specific asset fund which serves as this investment option.

          o    Index Fund.  This fund (offered  beginning June 1997) is invested
               in all of the stocks in the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock
               Price Index.

          o    Small Company Fund.  This fund (offered  beginning  June 1997) is
               invested in small or emerging  companies  that show potential for
               increased  size and  profitability.  The fund seeks  little or no
               current income.  This fund is managed by INVESCO Trust Company or
               its affiliates.

          o    Bond  Index  Fund.  This fund  (offered  beginning  July 1998) is
               invested in a  well-diversified  portfolio that is representative
               of the domestic investment grade bond market.

     Loans to Participants

     The Plan  permits  loans to  participants  up to the  lesser  of 50% of the
     participant's  vested account  balance or $50,000.  A participant has up to
     five years to repay the principal and interest,  unless the loan is for the
     purchase of a primary residence, in which case the repayment period 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. The interest rate as of December 31, 1998 was 9.25%.

     Loan issuances and  repayments  are included in intraplan  transfers in the
     accompanying  statement of changes in net assets  available  for  benefits,
     with fund  information.  Interest on loans is included in the net gain from
     investment in NSI DC Trust and is allocated to each  investment  fund based
     on participants' investment elections.

     Benefits

     A participant  is entitled to receive the  distribution  of his/her  vested
     account  balance upon death,  disability,  or retirement  (age 65 or age 55
     with ten years of  credited  service).  These  benefits  are  payable  in a
     lump-sum  amount  or can  be  paid  in  installments  at the  participant's
     election.  A participant  who  terminates  employment  with the Company for
     reasons other than these is entitled to receive his/her  contributions in a
     lump sum as soon as  administratively  feasible.  The vested portion of the
     participant's  employer  contributions  is generally  distributable  on the
     first day of the first  month  following  the later of his/her  termination
     date or sixty-fifth  birthday.  If this vested portion is less than $5,000,
     then  the  participant  may  elect  to have  his/her  interest  distributed
     immediately in a lump sum.

Page 10


     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 as 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 or forfeitures.


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 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.

     GICs  included  in the NSI DC 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, "Reporting of Investment Contracts for Welfare and Pension Plans." At
     December 31, 1998 and 1997,  contract  value  approximates  fair value.  At
     December 31, 1998, the weighted average  crediting  interest rate was 6.6%.
     For the year ended  December 31, 1998, the annual yield on the GICs held by
     the NSI DC Trust was 7%. For  certain of the GICs held by the NSI DC Trust,
     crediting  interest rates may be changed if certain  events occur,  such as
     early retirements,  plant closings,  etc., but in no case are they adjusted
     to a rate less than 0%.

                                                                         Page 11


     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.

     Certain GICs included in the NSI DC Trust are  synthetic;  that is, the NSI
     DC Trust owns certain  fixed  income  securities,  and the contract  issuer
     provides a "wrapper"  that  guarantees  a fixed rate of return and provides
     benefit  responsiveness.  At December 31, 1998, the value of the underlying
     assets of the synthetic GICs (determined from quoted market prices) and the
     value of the related wrapper  contracts were $48,749,180 and  $(1,232,140),
     respectively.


3.   NSI DC TRUST

     Investment Income

     Investment  income of the NSI DC Trust for the year ended December 31, 1998
     is summarized as follows:


                                                                                        
              Dividends on common stock                                                    $     363,675
              Interest income                                                                  3,619,354
              Net depreciation in fair value of NSI common stock                              (4,420,458)
              Net income from common/collective trust                                         23,084,929
              Net income from mutual funds                                                    12,167,659
              Net income from pooled separate account                                             31,785
                                                                                           --------------
                            Total investment income                                        $  34,846,944
                                                                                           ==============


      The investment  income of the NSI DC Trust for the year ended December 31,
      1998 is allocated among participating plans as follows:


                                                                                         
              Selig Chemical Industries Retirement Plan                                     $  1,690,360
              All other NSI plans                                                             33,156,584
                                                                                            -------------
                         Total                                                              $ 34,846,944
                                                                                            =============


Page 12



      Net Assets

      The net assets of the NSI DC Trust are as follows at December 31, 1998 and
1997:


                                                                                     
                                                                            1998                 1997

              Mutual funds                                            $  91,469,061        $  79,312,170
              Common/collective trust                                    98,522,341           79,112,333
              Guaranteed investment contracts                            59,224,919           52,443,357
              NSI common stock                                           15,348,609           18,045,789
              Loans receivable from participants                          7,590,683            7,564,684
              Money market fund                                                   0            1,740,602
              Pooled separate account                                     2,315,680            2,385,857
                                                                      --------------       --------------
                                                                        274,471,293          240,604,792
              Cash                                                                0                9,476
                                                                      --------------       --------------
                                                                        274,471,293          240,614,268
              Accrued investment income                                       6,608              112,870
              Adjustments for pending trades                                 19,658             (199,191)
              Other                                                               0              (47,759)
                                                                      --------------       --------------
              Net assets                                              $ 274,497,559        $ 240,480,188
                                                                      ==============       ==============


      The  allocation  of the net  assets  of the NSI DC Trust to  participating
      plans is based on  participant  units and is as follows as of December 31,
      1998 and 1997:

                                                                                         
                                                            1998                               1997
                                             -----------------------------------  ------------------------------
                                                    Amount           Percent           Amount           Percent
              Selig Chemical Industries      -------------------  --------------  -----------------  -----------
                 Retirement Plan                  $  13,775,052         5.02%        $  12,192,480         5.07%
              All other plans                       260,722,507        94.98           228,287,708        94.93
                                             -------------------  --------------  -----------------  -----------
                Total                             $ 274,497,559       100.00%        $ 240,480,188       100.00%
                                             ===================  ==============  =================  ===========


      Investment in NSI Common Stock

      As  of  December  31,  1998  and  1997,   approximately   5.6%  and  7.5%,
      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 favorable  determination  letter from the Internal
      Revenue Service dated February 14, 1996 stating that the Plan was designed
      in accordance with plan design  requirements as of that date. The Plan has
      been amended since receiving the determination  letter.  However, 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, 1998 and 1997.