The implementations described herein generally relate to methods and chemical compositions for scavenging sulfur-containing compounds, and more particularly to methods and compositions for scavenging, for example, H2S and mercaptans from sulfur-containing streams. In one implementation, a method for scavenging a sulfur-containing compound from a sulfur-containing stream is provided. The method comprises contacting the sulfur-containing stream with a scavenging system for scavenging the sulfur-containing compound, wherein the scavenging system comprises urea formaldehyde reaction products.