Hexanes are a clear, colorless, highly flammable liquid with a gasoline-like odor (although odorless when pure). Insoluble in water, it is soluble in ether, alcohol, and acetone.

Hexanes are used in the laboratory to extract oil and grease contaminants from water and soil for analysis, as a non-polar chromatography solvent, and to create organolithiums and other chemical reactions that involve very strong bases.

In industrial settings, hexanes are used as solvents to extract edible oils from seeds and vegetables, as cleaning agents (in the textile, furniture, and printing industries), and as glues in roofing, shoemaking, and leather product manufacturing.

Inhalation exposure can affect the nervous system and cause dizziness, nausea, and headache; prolonged contact can cause eye and skin irritation. Hexanes are flammable — keep away from heat sources and store in a closed environment with proper ventilation.