diff --git a/tools/archive-manager/main.go b/tools/archive-manager/main.go
index 07cc4c1..988bb78 100644
--- a/tools/archive-manager/main.go
+++ b/tools/archive-manager/main.go
@@ -9,12 +9,28 @@ import (
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ClusterCockpit/cc-backend/internal/config"
 	"github.com/ClusterCockpit/cc-backend/pkg/archive"
 	"github.com/ClusterCockpit/cc-backend/pkg/log"
 )
 
+func parseDate(in string) int64 {
+	const shortForm = "2006-Jan-02"
+	loc, _ := time.LoadLocation("Local")
+	if in != "" {
+		t, err := time.ParseInLocation(shortForm, in, loc)
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Printf("date parse error %v", err)
+			os.Exit(0)
+		}
+		return t.Unix()
+	}
+
+	return 0
+}
+
 func main() {
 	var srcPath, flagConfigFile, flagLogLevel, flagRemoveCluster, flagRemoveAfter, flagRemoveBefore string
 	var flagLogDateTime, flagValidate bool
@@ -24,8 +40,8 @@ func main() {
 	flag.StringVar(&flagLogLevel, "loglevel", "warn", "Sets the logging level: `[debug,info,warn (default),err,fatal,crit]`")
 	flag.StringVar(&flagConfigFile, "config", "./config.json", "Specify alternative path to `config.json`")
 	flag.StringVar(&flagRemoveCluster, "remove-cluster", "", "Remove cluster from archive and database")
-	flag.StringVar(&flagRemoveBefore, "remove-before", "", "Remove all jobs with start time before date")
-	flag.StringVar(&flagRemoveAfter, "remove-after", "", "Remove all jobs with start time after date")
+	flag.StringVar(&flagRemoveBefore, "remove-before", "", "Remove all jobs with start time before date (Format: 2006-Jan-04)")
+	flag.StringVar(&flagRemoveAfter, "remove-after", "", "Remove all jobs with start time after date (Format: 2006-Jan-04)")
 	flag.BoolVar(&flagValidate, "validate", false, "Set this flag to validate a job archive against the json schema")
 	flag.Parse()
 
@@ -47,5 +63,10 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
+	if flagRemoveBefore != "" || flagRemoveAfter != "" {
+		ar.Clean(parseDate(flagRemoveBefore), parseDate(flagRemoveAfter))
+		os.Exit(0)
+	}
+
 	ar.Info()
 }