A method of inhibiting the formation of fouling deposits occurring on the surfaces of an alkaline scrubber used to wash acid gases generated during the manufacture of olefins, which deposits are formed during the scrubbing of pyrolytically produced hydrocarbons contaminated with oxygen-containing compounds with a caustic solution having a pH >7, which comprises adding an effective depositing-inhibiting amount of a caustic solution-soluble substituted aromatic amine selected from the group consisting of: 2-aminophenol, 4-aminophenol, 4-aminobenzenesulfonic acid and salts thereof, 4-amino- o -cresol, 3-aminophenol, 2-aminobenzoic acid and salts thereof, 3-aminobenzoic acid and salts thereof, and 4-aminobenzoic acid and salts thereof to the caustic solution. A preferred substituted aromatic amine is the sodium salt of 4-amino- benzenesulfonic acid in aqueous solution.