I think you'd need the cotton bit for Western-style earwax (which I suspect dominates in the US - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwax#Physiology https://en

I think you'd need the cotton bit for Western-style earwax (which I suspect dominates in the US - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwax#Physiology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwax#Physiology), or some water. But it could just be a question of technique.