Pure N,N-diethylhydroxylamine is a colorless liquid, although it is usually encountered as a colourless-to-yellow solution in water with an amine-like odor.

DEHA is largely used as an oxygen scavenger in water treatment.

It is employed in high pressure (>70 bar) boiler systems due to a very low rate of reaction at low temperatures and pressures.

DEHA also reacts with ferrous metals to form a passivized film of magnetite throughout the boiler system.

The reduction of toxic heavy metals, such as hexavalent chromium to their more environmentally-friendly counterparts like trivalent chromium, is also performed using aqueous solutions containing DEHA.