This is what I was taught by my father, an MD, about cleaning ears. If you are going to ignore sound medical advice, so be it, but here goes:
Soap and Water: The best way to keep your ears clean is just to let some warm soapy water run into your ear when you are in the shower, use your index finger as a plunger, and work the water around inside the ear canal. Then just let the water drain out of the ear canal naturally (Note: the Manufacturer designed your ears to operate this way with no further maintenance normally required).
Q-tips: Don't use Q-tips anywhere inside the ear canal, they only cause problems: abrasion, infection, or worse (torn ear drum for one thing). Use them on the outer folds of the ear, if at all. They are best used to clean the heads on your tape deck. Use them anywhere except inside your ear.
Syringe kits: The ear syringe kits are designed for the minority of people who have a natural tendency to build up a great deal of ear wax. They are for very occasional use only and need to be used by an experienced person. Most people do not need to use this method to keep their ears clean.
Coning: Lastly, there is a lesser known, somewhat unusual technique called coning. It involves placing a burning wax and paper cone inside the ear canal. The hot air and smoke from the burning cone softens the ear wax inside the ear canal and draws the melted ear wax up the inside of the cone like a wick of a candle. You can't do this to yourself, someone has to do this for you. Otherwise you risk setting your hair on fire, and perhaps the house. Not recommended for regular ear maintenance.
