Question: I was reading some clickbait "cleaning hacks" article, and it mentioned cleaning a mattress by using vodka in a spray bottle, then leaving it to air dry.

Is this actually effective? If so, I'd rather use something with even more alcohol, like everclear (190 proof).

Are there any other more effective ways to clean a mattress?

Answer: 
The idea of using alcohol is that the alcohol will evaporate quickly. So the more alcohol content will help but you need careful about the smell.

This might help
[Wiki - Clean a Mattress](http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Mattress)
If you have a steam cleaner (for cleaning bathrooms/ovens etc) they are ideal for also cleaning a mattress as long as you can air it out afterwards to allow it to dry.

Simply move it over the surface of the mattress, the steam will kill any organics within the mattress and the water will cause dirt to wash away/lift out.

Once done, the best way to dry it is to leave it outside in the sunshine. The UV rays are also antibacteria.