A process for the depletion of 2-methoxyethanol (MOE) from a mixture comprising predominantly morpholine (MO) (crude morpholine), wherein crude morpholine is distilled in a distillation column in the presence of an alkali metal compound of the general formula M+[RO−] (M+ is alkali metal cation and R is hydrogen (H), methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl or tert-butyl), where MO and a compound of the general formula R—OH are distilled off and an alkali metal methoxyethoxide of the general formula M+[MeOEtO−] is obtained in the bottom of the column.