Mercaptans and/or hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in hydrocarbons, naphthas, gasolines, and the like may be scavenged therefrom by being brought into intimate contact with a mercaptan scavenger formulation containing at least one disubstituted azodicarboxylate of the formula R1OOCN═NCOOR2, where R1 and R2 are independently alkyl groups, alkenyl groups and aromatic groups having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms. These scavengers remove mercaptans and/or H2S from hydrocarbons faster than many conventional mercaptan scavengers. An effective scavenging amount of disubstituted azodicarboxylate in the hydrocarbon fluid ranges from about 5 to about 20 parts by weight based on 1 part as sulfur of mercaptan and/or H2S.