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                                                                      EXHIBIT 99

                              THE DIAL CORPORATION
                                   EXHIBIT 99

               PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
       SAFE HARBOR COMPLIANCE STATEMENT FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

      In passing the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the
"PSLRA"), Congress encouraged public companies to make "forward-looking
statements" by creating a safe-harbor to protect companies from securities law
liability in connection with forward-looking statements. The Dial Corporation
(the "Company") intends to qualify both its written and oral forward-looking
statements for protection under the PSLRA.

      To qualify oral forward-looking statements for protection under the PSLRA,
a readily available written document must identify important factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking
statements. The Company provides the following information in connection with
its continuing effort to qualify forward-looking statements for the safe harbor
protection of the PSLRA.

      Forward-looking statements express expectations of future events. All
forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on various
expectations and assumptions concerning future events and they are subject to
numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual
events or results to differ materially from those projected. Due to these
inherent uncertainties, the investment community is urged not to place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements. In addition, the Company undertakes no
obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed
assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to projections
over time.

FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT FUTURE RESULTS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION

      The Company's future results and financial condition are dependent upon
the Company's ability to successfully develop, manufacture and market consumer
products. Inherent in this process are a number of factors that the Company must
successfully manage to achieve favorable future operating results and financial
condition. Potential risks and uncertainties that could affect the Company's
future operating results and financial condition include, but are not limited
to, the factors discussed below.
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INTENSE COMPETITION IN THE CONSUMER PRODUCTS INDUSTRY

      The consumer products industry, particularly its detergent, personal care
and air freshener categories, is intensely competitive. Several of the Company's
most significant competitors, including The Procter & Gamble Company, Lever
Brothers Co. (a division of Unilever plc), and Colgate-Palmolive Company, have
greater financial resources than the Company and may be willing to commit
significant resources to protecting their own market shares or to capturing
market share from the Company. As a result, the Company may need to incur
greater costs than previously incurred for trade and consumer promotions and
advertising to preserve or improve market share and to introduce and establish
new products and line extensions. At the same time, the Company may need to
undertake additional production-related costs-cutting measures to enable it to
respond to competitors' price cuts and marketing efforts without reducing the
Company's margins. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to
make such additional expenditures or implement such cost-cutting measures or
that if made or implemented they will be effective.

CONSUMER PRICING PRESSURES

      Consumer products, particularly those that are value-priced, are subject
to significant price competition. From time to time, the Company may need to
engage in price-cutting initiatives for some of its products to respond to
competitive and consumer pressures. The failure of the Company's sales volumes
to grow sufficiently to improve overall revenues and income as a result of a
competitive price reduction could have a material adverse effect on the
financial performance of the Company.

TRADE CUSTOMER PRICING PRESSURES; COMPETITIVE RETAIL ENVIRONMENT

      The Company faces pricing pressures from its trade customers. Because of
the competitive retail environment, retailers have increasingly sought to reduce
inventory levels and obtain pricing concessions from vendors. In addition,
because consumer products companies, including the Company, have historically
offered end-of-quarter discounts to achieve quarterly sales goals, trade
customers have been inclined to delay inventory restocking until quarter-end.
Since August 1996, the Company has reduced end-of-quarter discounts to retailers
and has changed its sales incentive structure to emphasize not only quarterly
review targets but also trade spending management and other personal performance
targets. The reduction in discounts has not had and the Company believes it will
not have a material adverse effect on sales although there can be no assurance
in that regard. The Company is also subject to the risk that high-volume
customers could seek alternative pricing concessions or better trade terms. The
Company's performance is also dependent upon the general health of the retail
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environmental and could be materially adversely affected by changes therein and
by the financial difficulties of retailers.

DEPENDENCE ON KEY CUSTOMERS

      The Company's top ten customers accounted for 35% of net sales in 1997.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (and its affiliate, SAM's Club) ("Wal-Mart") was the
Company's largest customer, accounting for 17% of the Company's net sales in
1997. The loss of, or a substantial decrease in the volume of purchases by,
Wal-Mart or any of the Company's other top customers could have a material
adverse effect on the Company's results of operations.

PRICE VOLATILITY OF RAW MATERIALS; SINGLE SOURCE SUPPLIER

      While the Company believes that is may, in certain circumstances, be able
to respond to price increases for certain raw materials by increasing sales
prices, rapid increases in the prices of such raw materials could have a
material adverse impact on financial results. For example, tallow (a key
ingredient in Dial bar soaps) has experienced price fluctuations within the
range of $0.16 and $0.28 per pound from January 1, 1995 to October 3, 1998.
Recently, the price of tallow has been trading near the lower end of this
historical range. Because the majority of the competitors' soap products use
considerably less tallow in their bar soap products, the Company may not be able
to increase the prices of its Dial bar soaps in response to increases in tallow
prices. In addition, the antibacterial agent, Triclosan, which is the active
ingredient used in Liquid Dial products, is sourced from a single supplier.
Although the Company has an adequate supply of Triclosan for its current and
foreseeable needs, a significant disruption in this supply could have a
short-term material adverse impact on the Company's financial results. The
Company seeks to mitigate the risk by entering into contracts to provide up to
six-month supplies of tallow, Triclosan and packaging materials. Long-term
hedging opportunities against price increases for these items are generally not
available.

DEPENDENCE ON DOMESTIC MARKETS; RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

      While a number of the Company's competitors have diversified their
revenues to include a strong international component, the Company is currently
dependent primarily on sales generated in the U.S. (92% of sales in 1997). With
respect to a number of the Company's most significant product categories,
including detergents and bar soaps, the U.S. markets are mature and
characterized by high household penetration. The Company's unit sales growth in
these domestic markets will depend on increasing usage by consumers and
capturing market share from competitors. There can be no assurance 
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that the Company will succeed in implementing its strategies to achieve such
domestic growth.

      To reduce its dependence on domestic revenues, the Company has adopted a
strategy to further penetrate international markets. In implementing this
strategy, the Company faces barriers to entry and the risk of competition from
local and other companies that already have established global businesses, risks
generally associated with conducting business internationally, including
exposure to currency fluctuations, limitations on foreign investment,
import/export controls, nationalization, unstable governments and legal systems
and the additional expense and risks inherent in operating in geographically and
culturally diverse locations. Because the Company plans to develop its
international business through acquisitions as well as joint ventures,
co-packaging arrangements and/or other alliances, the Company may also be
subject to risks associated with such acquisitions, ventures, arrangement and
alliances, including those relating to the marriage of different corporate
cultures and shared decision-making. In addition, because the Company's current
international distribution capabilities are extremely limited, the Company will
also need to acquire a distribution network or enter into alliances with
existing distributors before it can effectively conduct operations in new
markets. There can be no assurance that the Company will succeed in increasing
its international business in a profitable manner, and a failure to expand this
business may have a material adverse effect on the Company.

      The Company has a significant number of registered foreign trademarks as
well as pending foreign trademark applications. There can be an assurance that
the Company will successfully register any foreign trademark for which
applications are currently pending or that such trademarks, once registered,
together with any existing registered foreign trademarks, will be protected in
the foreign markets in which they are used.

ADVERSE PUBLICITY; PRODUCT RECALL

      Certain news broadcasts by major U.S. television and radio networks have
focused on the use of antibacterial agents to kill germs on various surfaces.
Triclosan, the active ingredient in Liquid Dial, has also been a focus of these
broadcasts. Although none of the broadcasts disputed that Triclosan kills germs
on the skin, some third party experts did question whether it provides any
additional protection beyond that provided by non-antibacterial soap products.
Although the Company has test results that it believes prove that Triclosan
provides consumers with additional protection in limiting exposure to
bacterial-related diseases, there can be no assurance the adverse publicity
stemming from these broadcasts will not adversely affect the Company's sales of
its antibacterial soap products and its results of operations.
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      Because the Company shares the use of the Armour trademark for food
products with ConAgra Inc., the manufacturer of Armour-branded non-canned meat
products, the Company faces the risk that consumer preferences and perceptions
with respect to any of the Company's Armour products may be influenced by
adverse publicity affecting any of the Armour-branded products of ConAgra, Inc.

      From time to time, consumer product companies, including Dial, have had to
recall certain products for various reasons, which costs of recall or other
liabilities could be material to such companies. To date, the Company has not
made any product recalls that have been material to the Company's financial
condition. In addition, adverse publicity regarding any such product recall
could have a material adverse effect on the Company.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS REGARDING DETERGENT COMPOUND

      Nonlyphenol ethoxylate ("NPE") is an ingredient used in the Company's
liquid and powder detergent products. Certain environmental and regulatory
groups have raised concerns regarding the toxicity of compounds produced from
NPE as it decomposes and the adverse impact on the reproductive health of
certain aquatic animals, exposed to those compounds. Although to the best of the
Company's knowledge none of the studies undertaken on NPE have demonstrated a
link between the compound and such effect in the environment or in human beings,
there can be no assurance that subsequent studies will in fact demonstrate such
a link or demonstrate other adverse environmental consequences. Current
government regulations do not impose any restrictions on the use of NPE, or
impose any liability on any of the businesses that utilize NPE in the products
they manufacture. The Company believes, however, that a number of governmental
agencies in North America and Europe are discussing formal regulations of NPE in
the environment. The Company is in the process of reformulating its detergents
to eliminate this compound ingredient. The additional expense the Company
expects to incur as a result of this reformulation is not expected to have a
material adverse impact on the Company's financial results. In addition, the
Company believes that it will not incur any significant environmental liability
as a result of the use of NPE in its products.

DEPENDENCE ON KEY PERSONNEL

      The operation of the Company requires managerial expertise. Of the
Company's key personnel, only the Chief Executive Officer has an employment
contract with the Company. There can be no assurance that any of the Company's
key employees will remain in the Company's employ. The loss of such key
personnel could have a material adverse effect on the Company's operations.

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TURNOVER; EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

      Primarily as a result of the restructuring of its business, the Company
discharged approximately 950 salaried and non-salaried employees during 1995 and
1996. In addition, the Company experienced greater aggregate voluntary turnover
of salaried employees in 1996 and 1997 than the industry average. Although the
Company believes that it presently has sufficient staffing, there can be no
assurance that the Company would not be materially adversely affected by any
future significant voluntary turnover of salaried or other employees.

      Four of the Company's six plants in the U.S. are unionized. The Company's
contracts with its various unions are scheduled for renegotiation as follows:
(i) Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers union (covering approximately 100 employees
at the Company's Bristol, Pennsylvania plant) in May 1999; (ii) United Food and
Commercial Workers union (covering approximately 475 employees at the Company's
Aurora, Illinois plant) in August 1999; (iii) the United Food and Commercial
Workers union (covering approximately 500 employees at the Company's Fort
Madison, Iowa plant) in September 1999; and (iv) International Brotherhood of
Teamsters union (covering approximately 325 employees at the Company's St.
Louis, Missouri plant) in July 2001. There can be no assurance that these
contracts can be renegotiated on terms acceptable to the Company. Although the
Company believes that its relations with the employees at its plants are
satisfactory, there can be no assurance that the Company will not face similar
labor disputes in the future or that such disputes will not be material to the
Company.

ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS

      The Company is subject to a variety of environmental and health and safety
laws in each jurisdiction in which it operations. These laws and regulations
pertain to the Company's present and past operations.

      Since 1980, the Company has received notices or requests for information
with respect to 27 sites that have been deemed "Superfund" sites under the
federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act,
five of which are currently active, 14 of which are inactive, and eight of which
have been settled. The Company is also engaged in investigatory and remedial
activities with respect to four closed plants previously operated by the
Company's former parent. As of October 3, 1998, the Company had accrued in its
financial statements approximately $10 million in reserves for expenses relating
to Superfund sites and the clean-up of closed plant sites, which reserves it
believes are adequate.

      The Company does not anticipate that the costs to comply with
environmental laws and regulations or the costs related to Superfund sites and
the clean-up of closed 
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plant sites will have any material adverse effect on the Company's capital
expenditures, earnings or competitive position; however, there can be no
assurance that other developments, such as the emergence of unforeseen claims or
liabilities or the imposition of increasingly stringent laws, regulations and
enforcement policies will not result in material costs in the future.

RISKS OF ACQUISITIONS

      As previously disclosed, the Company recently acquired The Freeman
Cosmetic Corporation ("Freeman") and Sarah Michaels, Inc. ("Sarah Michaels").
The Company may acquire or make substantial investments in additional
complementary businesses or products in the future. The Freeman and Sarah
Michaels acquisitions entail, and any future acquisitions or investments would
entail, various risks, including the difficulty of assimilating the operations
and personnel of the acquired businesses or products, the potential disruption
of the Company's ongoing business and, generally, the potential inability of the
Company to obtain the desired financial and strategic benefits from the
acquisitions or investments. These factors could have a material adverse effect
on the Company's financial results. Future acquisitions and investments by the
Company also could result in substantial cash expenditures, potentially dilutive
issuance of equity securities, the incurrence of additional debt and contingent
liabilities, and amortization expenses relating to goodwill and other intangible
assets, which could adversely affect the Company's financial results and
condition. The Company engages from time to time in discussions with respect to
potential acquisitions, some of which may be material.