It is a common practice in many families to use ear buds to clean ears. This practice is not recommended. One can do more harm by using ear buds. Ear buds usually push the wax deep inside the ear tube. Body has mechanisms to throw out the ear wax only if it is not used deep inside. But once the wax gets pushed deep inside, then it stays there, gets dried and can hurt also, apart from decreasing the hearing from that ear.
See the video below to understand, why one should not use buds to clean ears..
Dr Shacchee Baweja & Dr Vipul Baweja 