diff --git a/pkg/cache/placeholder_manager.go b/pkg/cache/placeholder_manager.go
index 80c4c0579..2fe768363 100644
--- a/pkg/cache/placeholder_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/cache/placeholder_manager.go
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ package cache
 
 import (
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"time"
 
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
@@ -33,6 +35,8 @@ import (
 type PlaceholderManager struct {
 	clients   *client.Clients
 	orphanPod map[string]*v1.Pod
+	stopChan  chan struct{}
+	running   atomic.Value
 	sync.RWMutex
 }
 
@@ -97,3 +101,62 @@ func (mgr *PlaceholderManager) setMockedClients(mockedClients *client.Clients) {
 	defer mgr.Unlock()
 	mgr.clients = mockedClients
 }
+
+func (mgr *PlaceholderManager) cleanOrphanPlaceholders() {
+	mgr.Lock()
+	defer mgr.Unlock()
+	for taskID, pod := range mgr.orphanPod {
+		log.Logger().Debug("start to clean up orphan pod",
+			zap.String("taskID", taskID),
+			zap.String("podName", pod.Name))
+		err := mgr.clients.KubeClient.Delete(pod)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Logger().Warn("failed to clean up orphan pod", zap.Error(err))
+		} else {
+			delete(mgr.orphanPod, taskID)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (mgr *PlaceholderManager) Start() {
+	log.Logger().Info("starting the Placeholder Manager")
+	mgr.stopChan = make(chan struct{})
+	if mgr.isRunning() {
+		log.Logger().Info("The placeholder manager has been started")
+		return
+	}
+	mgr.setRunning(true)
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			select {
+			case <-mgr.stopChan:
+				log.Logger().Info("PlaceholderManager has been stopped")
+				mgr.setRunning(false)
+				return
+			default:
+				// clean orphan placeholders every 5 seconds
+				log.Logger().Info("clean up orphan pod")
+				mgr.cleanOrphanPlaceholders()
+				time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+}
+
+func (mgr *PlaceholderManager) Stop() {
+	if !mgr.isRunning() {
+		log.Logger().Info("The placeholder manager has been stopped")
+		return
+	}
+	log.Logger().Info("stopping the Placeholder Manager")
+	mgr.stopChan <- struct{}{}
+	time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
+}
+
+func (mgr *PlaceholderManager) isRunning() bool {
+	return mgr.running.Load().(bool)
+}
+
+func (mgr *PlaceholderManager) setRunning(flag bool) {
+	mgr.running.Store(flag)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cache/placeholder_manager_test.go b/pkg/cache/placeholder_manager_test.go
index b43bb7e17..93b9cbf0b 100644
--- a/pkg/cache/placeholder_manager_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cache/placeholder_manager_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ package cache
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 
 	"gotest.tools/assert"
@@ -173,3 +174,44 @@ func TestCleanUp(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, exist, false)
 	assert.Equal(t, len(placeholderMgr.orphanPod), 0)
 }
+
+func TestCleanOrphanPlaceholders(t *testing.T) {
+	mockedAPIProvider := client.NewMockedAPIProvider()
+	placeholderMgr := &PlaceholderManager{
+		clients:   mockedAPIProvider.GetAPIs(),
+		orphanPod: make(map[string]*v1.Pod),
+		RWMutex:   sync.RWMutex{},
+	}
+	pod1 := &v1.Pod{
+		TypeMeta: apis.TypeMeta{
+			Kind:       "Pod",
+			APIVersion: "v1",
+		},
+		ObjectMeta: apis.ObjectMeta{
+			Name: "pod-01",
+			UID:  "UID-01",
+		},
+	}
+	placeholderMgr.orphanPod["task01"] = pod1
+	assert.Equal(t, len(placeholderMgr.orphanPod), 1)
+	placeholderMgr.cleanOrphanPlaceholders()
+	assert.Equal(t, len(placeholderMgr.orphanPod), 0)
+}
+
+func TestPlaceholderManagerStartStop(t *testing.T) {
+	mockedAPIProvider := client.NewMockedAPIProvider()
+	placeholderMgr := &PlaceholderManager{
+		clients:   mockedAPIProvider.GetAPIs(),
+		orphanPod: make(map[string]*v1.Pod),
+		running:   atomic.Value{},
+		RWMutex:   sync.RWMutex{},
+	}
+	placeholderMgr.setRunning(false)
+	// start clean up goroutine
+	placeholderMgr.Start()
+	assert.Equal(t, placeholderMgr.isRunning(), true)
+
+	placeholderMgr.Stop()
+	// check orphan pod map is empty
+	assert.Equal(t, placeholderMgr.isRunning(), false)
+}