diff --git a/docs/CACHE_MANAGEMENT.md b/docs/CACHE_MANAGEMENT.md
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+# Cache Management for Long-Running Applications
+
+## Overview
+
+DeltaGlider uses caching to store reference files locally for efficient delta compression. However, unlike the CLI which automatically cleans up cache on exit, **programmatic SDK usage requires manual cache management** for long-running applications.
+
+This guide explains how to manage cache in production applications, including:
+- When and how to clear cache
+- Encryption key management strategies
+- Memory vs. filesystem cache trade-offs
+- Best practices for different application types
+
+## The Problem
+
+**CLI (Automatic Cleanup)**:
+```bash
+# Cache created in /tmp/deltaglider-xyz123/
+deltaglider cp file.zip s3://bucket/
+
+# Process exits → Cache automatically deleted via atexit handler
+# ✅ No manual cleanup needed
+```
+
+**SDK (Manual Cleanup Required)**:
+```python
+from deltaglider import create_client
+
+client = create_client()
+
+# Long-running application (runs for hours/days)
+while True:
+    client.put_object(Bucket='releases', Key='file.zip', Body=data)
+    time.sleep(600)  # Upload every 10 minutes
+
+# ❌ Process never exits → Cache never cleaned
+# ❌ Cache grows indefinitely
+# ❌ Memory/disk exhaustion after days/weeks
+```
+
+## Solution: Manual Cache Management
+
+### Basic Cache Clearing
+
+```python
+from deltaglider import create_client
+
+client = create_client()
+
+# Do some uploads
+client.put_object(Bucket='releases', Key='file1.zip', Body=data1)
+client.put_object(Bucket='releases', Key='file2.zip', Body=data2)
+
+# Clear cache to free resources
+client.clear_cache()
+
+# ✅ All cached references removed
+# ✅ Memory/disk freed
+# ✅ Next upload will fetch fresh reference from S3
+```
+
+### When to Clear Cache
+
+| Scenario | Frequency | Reason |
+|----------|-----------|--------|
+| **Long-running services** | Every 1-4 hours | Prevent memory/disk growth |
+| **After config changes** | Immediately | Old cache is invalid |
+| **High memory pressure** | As needed | Free resources |
+| **Test cleanup** | After each test | Ensure clean state |
+| **Scheduled jobs** | After job completes | Clean up before next run |
+| **Key rotation** | After rotation | Old encrypted cache unusable |
+
+## Cache Strategies by Application Type
+
+### 1. Long-Running Background Service
+
+**Scenario**: Continuous upload service running 24/7
+
+```python
+from deltaglider import create_client
+import schedule
+import time
+import logging
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+client = create_client()
+
+def upload_task():
+    """Upload latest build."""
+    try:
+        with open('latest-build.zip', 'rb') as f:
+            response = client.put_object(
+                Bucket='releases',
+                Key=f'builds/{datetime.now().isoformat()}.zip',
+                Body=f
+            )
+        logger.info(f"Uploaded: {response['ETag']}")
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.error(f"Upload failed: {e}")
+
+def cleanup_task():
+    """Clear cache to prevent growth."""
+    client.clear_cache()
+    logger.info("Cache cleared - freed resources")
+
+# Upload every 10 minutes
+schedule.every(10).minutes.do(upload_task)
+
+# Clear cache every 2 hours (balance performance vs. memory)
+schedule.every(2).hours.do(cleanup_task)
+
+# Run indefinitely
+while True:
+    schedule.run_pending()
+    time.sleep(60)
+```
+
+**Cache Clearing Frequency Guidelines**:
+- Every 1 hour: High upload frequency (>100/day), memory-constrained
+- Every 2-4 hours: Moderate upload frequency (10-100/day), normal memory
+- Every 6-12 hours: Low upload frequency (<10/day), abundant memory
+
+### 2. Periodic Batch Job
+
+**Scenario**: Daily backup script
+
+```python
+from deltaglider import create_client
+import glob
+from pathlib import Path
+
+def daily_backup():
+    """Upload daily backups and clean up."""
+    client = create_client()
+
+    try:
+        # Upload all backup files
+        for backup in glob.glob('/backups/*.zip'):
+            with open(backup, 'rb') as f:
+                client.put_object(
+                    Bucket='backups',
+                    Key=f'daily/{Path(backup).name}',
+                    Body=f
+                )
+            print(f"Backed up: {backup}")
+
+    finally:
+        # ALWAYS clear cache at end of job
+        client.clear_cache()
+        print("Cache cleared - job complete")
+
+# Run daily via cron/systemd timer
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    daily_backup()
+```
+
+**Best Practice**: Always clear cache in `finally` block to ensure cleanup even if job fails.
+
+### 3. Web Application / API Server
+
+**Scenario**: Flask/FastAPI app with upload endpoints
+
+```python
+from fastapi import FastAPI, UploadFile, BackgroundTasks
+from deltaglider import create_client
+import asyncio
+
+app = FastAPI()
+
+# Create client once at startup
+client = create_client()
+
+async def periodic_cache_cleanup():
+    """Background task to clear cache periodically."""
+    while True:
+        await asyncio.sleep(3600)  # Every hour
+        client.clear_cache()
+        print("Cache cleared in background")
+
+@app.on_event("startup")
+async def startup_event():
+    """Start background cache cleanup task."""
+    asyncio.create_task(periodic_cache_cleanup())
+
+@app.post("/upload")
+async def upload_file(file: UploadFile):
+    """Upload endpoint with automatic cache management."""
+    content = await file.read()
+
+    response = client.put_object(
+        Bucket='uploads',
+        Key=f'files/{file.filename}',
+        Body=content
+    )
+
+    return {"message": "Uploaded", "etag": response['ETag']}
+
+@app.post("/admin/clear-cache")
+async def admin_clear_cache():
+    """Manual cache clear endpoint for admin."""
+    client.clear_cache()
+    return {"message": "Cache cleared"}
+```
+
+**Best Practice**: Run periodic cache cleanup in background task, provide manual clear endpoint for emergencies.
+
+### 4. Testing / CI/CD
+
+**Scenario**: Test suite using DeltaGlider
+
+```python
+import pytest
+from deltaglider import create_client
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def deltaglider_client():
+    """Provide clean client for each test."""
+    client = create_client()
+    yield client
+    # ALWAYS clear cache after test
+    client.clear_cache()
+
+def test_upload(deltaglider_client):
+    """Test upload with automatic cleanup."""
+    response = deltaglider_client.put_object(
+        Bucket='test-bucket',
+        Key='test-file.zip',
+        Body=b'test data'
+    )
+    assert response['ETag'] is not None
+    # Cache automatically cleared by fixture
+
+def test_download(deltaglider_client):
+    """Test download with clean cache."""
+    # Cache is clean from previous test
+    deltaglider_client.put_object(Bucket='test', Key='file.zip', Body=b'data')
+    response = deltaglider_client.get_object(Bucket='test', Key='file.zip')
+    assert response['Body'].read() == b'data'
+    # Cache automatically cleared by fixture
+```
+
+**Best Practice**: Use pytest fixtures to ensure cache is cleared after each test.
+
+### 5. AWS Lambda / Serverless
+
+**Scenario**: Lambda function with warm container reuse
+
+```python
+import os
+from deltaglider import create_client
+
+# Initialize client outside handler (reused across invocations)
+client = create_client()
+
+# Track invocation count for cache clearing
+invocation_count = 0
+
+def lambda_handler(event, context):
+    """Lambda handler with periodic cache clearing."""
+    global invocation_count
+    invocation_count += 1
+
+    try:
+        # Upload file
+        response = client.put_object(
+            Bucket='lambda-uploads',
+            Key=event['filename'],
+            Body=event['data']
+        )
+
+        # Clear cache every 50 invocations (warm container optimization)
+        if invocation_count % 50 == 0:
+            client.clear_cache()
+            print(f"Cache cleared after {invocation_count} invocations")
+
+        return {'statusCode': 200, 'etag': response['ETag']}
+
+    except Exception as e:
+        # Clear cache on error to prevent poisoned state
+        client.clear_cache()
+        return {'statusCode': 500, 'error': str(e)}
+```
+
+**Best Practice**: Clear cache periodically (every N invocations) and on errors. Lambda warm containers can reuse cache across invocations for performance.
+
+## Encryption Key Management
+
+DeltaGlider always encrypts cache data. Understanding key management is critical for programmatic usage.
+
+### Ephemeral Keys (Default - Recommended)
+
+**How It Works**:
+- New encryption key generated per client instance
+- Cache encrypted with instance-specific key
+- Key lost when client is garbage collected
+- **Maximum security** - keys never persist
+
+**When to Use**:
+- Single-process applications
+- Short-lived scripts
+- CI/CD pipelines
+- Testing
+- Maximum security requirements
+
+**Example**:
+```python
+from deltaglider import create_client
+
+# Create client (generates ephemeral key automatically)
+client = create_client()
+
+# Upload file (encrypted with ephemeral key)
+client.put_object(Bucket='bucket', Key='file.zip', Body=data)
+
+# Clear cache
+client.clear_cache()
+
+# ✅ Encrypted cache cleared
+# ✅ Key was never persisted
+# ✅ Perfect forward secrecy
+```
+
+**Characteristics**:
+- ✅ Maximum security (keys never leave process)
+- ✅ Perfect forward secrecy
+- ✅ No key management overhead
+- ❌ Cache not shareable between processes
+- ❌ Cache not reusable after client recreation
+
+### Persistent Keys (Advanced - Shared Cache)
+
+**How It Works**:
+- Use same encryption key across multiple processes/clients
+- Key stored in environment variable or secrets manager
+- All processes can read each other's encrypted cache
+- **Trade-off**: Convenience vs. security
+
+**When to Use**:
+- Multi-process applications (workers, replicas)
+- Shared cache across containers
+- Cache persistence across application restarts
+- Horizontal scaling scenarios
+
+**Example - Environment Variable**:
+```python
+import os
+from cryptography.fernet import Fernet
+import base64
+
+# Generate persistent key (do this ONCE, securely)
+key = Fernet.generate_key()
+key_b64 = base64.b64encode(key).decode('utf-8')
+print(f"DG_CACHE_ENCRYPTION_KEY={key_b64}")  # Store in secrets manager!
+
+# Set in environment (or use secrets manager)
+os.environ['DG_CACHE_ENCRYPTION_KEY'] = key_b64
+
+# All client instances use same key
+client1 = create_client()
+client2 = create_client()
+
+# Client1 writes to cache
+client1.put_object(Bucket='bucket', Key='file.zip', Body=data)
+
+# Client2 can read same cached data (same key!)
+client2.get_object(Bucket='bucket', Key='file.zip')
+
+# ✅ Cache shared between processes
+# ⚠️  Key must be securely managed
+```
+
+**Example - AWS Secrets Manager**:
+```python
+import boto3
+import json
+from deltaglider import create_client
+
+def get_encryption_key_from_secrets_manager():
+    """Retrieve encryption key from AWS Secrets Manager."""
+    secrets = boto3.client('secretsmanager', region_name='us-west-2')
+    response = secrets.get_secret_value(SecretId='deltaglider/cache-encryption-key')
+    secret = json.loads(response['SecretString'])
+    return secret['encryption_key']
+
+# Retrieve key securely
+os.environ['DG_CACHE_ENCRYPTION_KEY'] = get_encryption_key_from_secrets_manager()
+
+# Create client with persistent key
+client = create_client()
+```
+
+**Security Best Practices for Persistent Keys**:
+1. **Generate once**: Never regenerate unless rotating
+2. **Store securely**: AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault, etc.
+3. **Rotate regularly**: Follow your key rotation policy
+4. **Audit access**: Log who accesses encryption keys
+5. **Principle of least privilege**: Only processes that need shared cache get the key
+
+### Key Rotation
+
+**When to Rotate**:
+- Regular schedule (every 90 days recommended)
+- After security incident
+- When team members leave
+- After key exposure
+
+**How to Rotate**:
+```python
+import os
+from deltaglider import create_client
+
+# OLD KEY (existing cache encrypted with this)
+old_key = os.environ.get('DG_CACHE_ENCRYPTION_KEY')
+
+# Generate NEW KEY
+from cryptography.fernet import Fernet
+new_key = Fernet.generate_key()
+new_key_b64 = base64.b64encode(new_key).decode('utf-8')
+
+# Steps for rotation:
+# 1. Clear old cache (encrypted with old key)
+client_old = create_client()  # Uses old key from env
+client_old.clear_cache()
+
+# 2. Update environment with new key
+os.environ['DG_CACHE_ENCRYPTION_KEY'] = new_key_b64
+
+# 3. Create new client with new key
+client_new = create_client()  # Uses new key
+
+# 4. Continue operations
+client_new.put_object(Bucket='bucket', Key='file.zip', Body=data)
+
+# ✅ Cache now encrypted with new key
+# ✅ Old encrypted cache cleared
+```
+
+## Memory vs. Filesystem Cache
+
+### Filesystem Cache (Default)
+
+**Characteristics**:
+- Stored in `/tmp/deltaglider-*/`
+- Persistent across client recreations (within same process)
+- Can be shared between processes (with persistent encryption key)
+- Slower than memory cache (disk I/O)
+
+**Configuration**:
+```python
+import os
+
+# Explicitly set filesystem cache (this is the default)
+os.environ['DG_CACHE_BACKEND'] = 'filesystem'
+
+from deltaglider import create_client
+client = create_client()
+```
+
+**When to Use**:
+- Default choice for most applications
+- When cache should persist across client recreations
+- Multi-process applications (with persistent key)
+- Memory-constrained environments
+
+**Cache Clearing**:
+```python
+client.clear_cache()
+# Removes all files from /tmp/deltaglider-*/
+# Frees disk space
+```
+
+### Memory Cache
+
+**Characteristics**:
+- Stored in process memory (RAM)
+- Fast access (no disk I/O)
+- Automatically freed when process exits
+- LRU eviction prevents unlimited growth
+- Not shared between processes
+
+**Configuration**:
+```python
+import os
+
+# Enable memory cache
+os.environ['DG_CACHE_BACKEND'] = 'memory'
+os.environ['DG_CACHE_MEMORY_SIZE_MB'] = '200'  # Default: 100MB
+
+from deltaglider import create_client
+client = create_client()
+```
+
+**When to Use**:
+- High-performance requirements
+- Ephemeral environments (containers, Lambda)
+- Short-lived applications
+- CI/CD pipelines
+- When disk I/O is bottleneck
+
+**Cache Clearing**:
+```python
+client.clear_cache()
+# Frees memory immediately
+# No disk I/O
+```
+
+**LRU Eviction**:
+Memory cache automatically evicts least recently used entries when size limit is reached. No manual intervention needed.
+
+## Best Practices Summary
+
+### ✅ DO
+
+1. **Clear cache periodically** in long-running applications
+2. **Clear cache in `finally` blocks** for batch jobs
+3. **Use fixtures for tests** to ensure clean state
+4. **Monitor cache size** in production
+5. **Use ephemeral keys** when possible (maximum security)
+6. **Store persistent keys securely** (Secrets Manager, Vault)
+7. **Rotate encryption keys** regularly
+8. **Use memory cache** for ephemeral environments
+9. **Clear cache after config changes**
+10. **Document cache strategy** for your application
+
+### ❌ DON'T
+
+1. **Never let cache grow unbounded** in long-running apps
+2. **Don't share ephemeral encrypted cache** between processes
+3. **Don't store persistent keys in code** or version control
+4. **Don't forget to clear cache in tests**
+5. **Don't assume cache is automatically cleaned** in SDK usage
+6. **Don't use persistent keys** unless you need cross-process sharing
+7. **Don't skip key rotation**
+8. **Don't ignore memory limits** for memory cache
+
+## Monitoring Cache Health
+
+### Cache Size Tracking
+
+```python
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+from deltaglider import create_client
+
+def get_cache_size_mb(cache_dir: Path) -> float:
+    """Calculate total cache size in MB."""
+    total_bytes = sum(f.stat().st_size for f in cache_dir.rglob('*') if f.is_file())
+    return total_bytes / (1024 * 1024)
+
+# Get cache directory (ephemeral, changes per process)
+cache_dir = Path(tempfile.gettempdir())
+deltaglider_caches = list(cache_dir.glob('deltaglider-*'))
+
+if deltaglider_caches:
+    cache_path = deltaglider_caches[0]
+    cache_size_mb = get_cache_size_mb(cache_path)
+    print(f"Cache size: {cache_size_mb:.2f} MB")
+
+    # Clear if over threshold
+    if cache_size_mb > 500:
+        client = create_client()
+        client.clear_cache()
+        print("Cache cleared - exceeded 500MB")
+```
+
+### Memory Cache Monitoring
+
+```python
+import os
+os.environ['DG_CACHE_BACKEND'] = 'memory'
+
+from deltaglider import create_client
+
+client = create_client()
+
+# Memory cache auto-evicts at configured limit
+# Monitor via application memory usage tools (not direct API)
+
+# Example with memory_profiler
+from memory_profiler import profile
+
+@profile
+def upload_many_files():
+    for i in range(1000):
+        client.put_object(Bucket='test', Key=f'file{i}.zip', Body=b'data' * 1000)
+    # Check memory profile to see cache memory usage
+
+upload_many_files()
+```
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Problem: Cache Growing Too Large
+
+**Symptoms**:
+- Disk space running out (`/tmp` filling up)
+- High memory usage
+
+**Solution**:
+```python
+# Implement automatic cache clearing
+import psutil
+
+client = create_client()
+
+def smart_cache_clear():
+    """Clear cache if memory/disk pressure detected."""
+    # Check disk space
+    disk = psutil.disk_usage('/tmp')
+    if disk.percent > 80:
+        client.clear_cache()
+        print("Cache cleared - disk pressure")
+        return
+
+    # Check memory usage
+    memory = psutil.virtual_memory()
+    if memory.percent > 80:
+        client.clear_cache()
+        print("Cache cleared - memory pressure")
+
+# Call periodically
+schedule.every(15).minutes.do(smart_cache_clear)
+```
+
+### Problem: Decryption Failures After Key Rotation
+
+**Symptoms**:
+- `CacheCorruptionError: Decryption failed`
+- After rotating encryption keys
+
+**Solution**:
+```python
+# Clear cache before using new key
+old_client = create_client()  # Old key
+old_client.clear_cache()
+
+# Update encryption key
+os.environ['DG_CACHE_ENCRYPTION_KEY'] = new_key
+
+# Create new client
+new_client = create_client()  # New key
+```
+
+### Problem: Tests Failing Due to Cached Data
+
+**Symptoms**:
+- Tests pass in isolation, fail when run together
+- Unexpected data in downloads
+
+**Solution**:
+```python
+# Always clear cache in test teardown
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def clear_cache_after_test():
+    """Automatically clear cache after every test."""
+    yield
+    # Teardown
+    client = create_client()
+    client.clear_cache()
+```
+
+## Related Documentation
+
+- [docs/sdk/getting-started.md](sdk/getting-started.md) - SDK configuration
+- [README.md](../README.md) - Docker and environment variables
+- [CLAUDE.md](../CLAUDE.md) - Development guide
+
+## Quick Reference
+
+```python
+from deltaglider import create_client
+
+# Create client
+client = create_client()
+
+# Clear all cache
+client.clear_cache()
+
+# Use memory cache
+os.environ['DG_CACHE_BACKEND'] = 'memory'
+
+# Use persistent encryption key
+os.environ['DG_CACHE_ENCRYPTION_KEY'] = 'base64-encoded-key'
+```
diff --git a/src/deltaglider/adapters/cache_cas.py b/src/deltaglider/adapters/cache_cas.py
index 4194ac9..369fd1d 100644
--- a/src/deltaglider/adapters/cache_cas.py
+++ b/src/deltaglider/adapters/cache_cas.py
@@ -242,5 +242,29 @@ class ContentAddressedCache(CachePort):
 
         # NOTE: We don't delete the actual CAS file because:
         # - Other deltaspaces may reference the same SHA
+
+    def clear(self) -> None:
+        """Clear all cached references.
+
+        Removes all cached files and mappings. This is a destructive operation
+        that forcibly removes the entire cache directory.
+
+        Use cases:
+        - Long-running applications that need to free disk space
+        - Manual cache invalidation
+        - Test cleanup
+        - Ensuring fresh data fetch after configuration changes
+        """
+        import shutil
+
+        # Clear in-memory mapping
+        self._deltaspace_to_sha.clear()
+
+        # Remove all cache files (destructive!)
+        if self.base_dir.exists():
+            shutil.rmtree(self.base_dir, ignore_errors=True)
+
+        # Recreate base directory with secure permissions
+        self.base_dir.mkdir(parents=True, mode=0o700, exist_ok=True)
         # - The ephemeral cache will be cleaned on process exit anyway
         # - For persistent cache (future), we'd need reference counting
diff --git a/src/deltaglider/adapters/cache_encrypted.py b/src/deltaglider/adapters/cache_encrypted.py
index fbdaa77..e20e8d4 100644
--- a/src/deltaglider/adapters/cache_encrypted.py
+++ b/src/deltaglider/adapters/cache_encrypted.py
@@ -281,3 +281,25 @@ class EncryptedCache(CachePort):
 
         # Evict from backend
         self.backend.evict(bucket, prefix)
+
+    def clear(self) -> None:
+        """Clear all cached references and encryption mappings.
+
+        Removes all cached data and clears encryption key mappings.
+        This is the proper way to forcibly clean up cache in long-running
+        applications.
+
+        Use cases:
+        - Long-running applications needing to free resources
+        - Manual cache invalidation after key rotation
+        - Test cleanup
+        - Memory pressure situations
+
+        Note: After clearing, the cache will use a fresh encryption key
+              (ephemeral mode) or the same persistent key (if DG_CACHE_ENCRYPTION_KEY set).
+        """
+        # Clear encryption mapping
+        self._plaintext_sha_map.clear()
+
+        # Delegate to backend to clear actual files/memory
+        self.backend.clear()
diff --git a/src/deltaglider/client.py b/src/deltaglider/client.py
index 3b2a7c5..324f49e 100644
--- a/src/deltaglider/client.py
+++ b/src/deltaglider/client.py
@@ -1061,6 +1061,86 @@ class DeltaGliderClient:
                     tags[key] = value
         return tags
 
+    # ============================================================================
+    # Cache Management APIs (DeltaGlider Extensions)
+    # ============================================================================
+
+    def clear_cache(self) -> None:
+        """Clear all cached reference files.
+
+        Forcibly removes all cached data from memory or disk. This is essential for
+        long-running applications that need to:
+        - Free memory/disk space
+        - Invalidate cache after configuration changes
+        - Ensure fresh data fetch from S3
+        - Clean up after tests
+
+        **Important for Long-Running Applications**:
+        Unlike the CLI which cleans up cache on exit, programmatic SDK usage
+        requires manual cache management. Call this method periodically or when:
+        - Application runs for extended periods (hours/days)
+        - Memory usage is high
+        - Configuration changes (endpoint, credentials, encryption key)
+        - Testing scenarios requiring clean state
+
+        **Effects**:
+        - Filesystem cache: Removes all files from cache directory
+        - Memory cache: Clears all in-memory data
+        - Encrypted cache: Clears encryption key mappings
+        - Next upload will re-fetch reference from S3
+
+        **Example - Long-Running Service**:
+        ```python
+        from deltaglider import create_client
+        import schedule
+        import time
+
+        client = create_client()
+
+        def upload_task():
+            client.put_object(Bucket='releases', Key='app.zip', Body=open('app.zip', 'rb'))
+
+        def cleanup_task():
+            client.clear_cache()  # Free resources every hour
+            print("Cache cleared")
+
+        # Upload every 10 minutes
+        schedule.every(10).minutes.do(upload_task)
+
+        # Clear cache every hour
+        schedule.every().hour.do(cleanup_task)
+
+        while True:
+            schedule.run_pending()
+            time.sleep(1)
+        ```
+
+        **Example - Test Cleanup**:
+        ```python
+        def test_upload():
+            client = create_client()
+            try:
+                client.put_object(Bucket='test', Key='file.zip', Body=b'data')
+            finally:
+                client.clear_cache()  # Ensure clean state for next test
+        ```
+
+        **Example - After Configuration Change**:
+        ```python
+        client = create_client(endpoint_url='http://minio1:9000')
+        client.put_object(Bucket='bucket', Key='file.zip', Body=b'data')
+
+        # Switch to different endpoint
+        client.clear_cache()  # Clear cache from old endpoint
+        client = create_client(endpoint_url='http://minio2:9000')
+        ```
+
+        See Also:
+        - `evict_cache()`: Remove specific cached reference
+        - docs/CACHE_MANAGEMENT.md: Complete cache management guide
+        """
+        self.service.cache.clear()
+
 
 def create_client(
     endpoint_url: str | None = None,
diff --git a/src/deltaglider/ports/cache.py b/src/deltaglider/ports/cache.py
index cdc2cec..538cdcc 100644
--- a/src/deltaglider/ports/cache.py
+++ b/src/deltaglider/ports/cache.py
@@ -42,3 +42,18 @@ class CachePort(Protocol):
     def evict(self, bucket: str, prefix: str) -> None:
         """Remove cached reference."""
         ...
+
+    def clear(self) -> None:
+        """Clear all cached references.
+
+        This method forcibly removes all cached data, useful for:
+        - Long-running applications that need to free memory
+        - Test cleanup
+        - Manual cache invalidation
+        - Ensuring fresh data fetch
+
+        Note: For filesystem caches, this removes all files in the cache directory.
+              For memory caches, this clears all in-memory data.
+              For encrypted caches, this also clears encryption key mappings.
+        """
+        ...