A highly practical method for demethylation of aryl methyl ethers employing a long-chain thiol has been developed. Under the conditions described herein, clean and fast conversions to the desired phenolic compounds have been achieved with a broad range of substrates. Unlike other thiolate-mediated methods, this newly developed protocol features in-situ generation of sodium alkylthiolate using NaOH, and is almost free from foul smells and potentially harmful gases. It therefore provides an attractive option for the demethylation of aryl methyl ethers.