Non-protic water miscible organic liquids that can also be used in the dehydration of inorganic oxide sols are aliphatic esters and ketones and sulfoxides such as ethyl acetate, propyl acetate, butyl acetate, methoxyethyl acetate, ethoxyethyl acetate, propoxyethyl acetate, butoxyethyl acetate, triethyl phosphate, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl propyl ketone and dimethyl sulfoxide.