If you know that there were tubes placed in the ear of your child, even if the drops were used before tubes, wax removers like Debrox or Oticar or hydrogen peroxide cannot be safely used at home now. The tubes make an opening in the drum and now the eardrum is no longer a complete barrier. The harsh wax removers can get in too deep. Drops that are made to cure middle ear infections are safe even if there is a hole in the ear drum. Eye drops are generally safe for the ears even if there is a hole in the ear drum.
Eye drops are generally gentle enough for the middle ear.
Drops placed in the ear canal opening need to drip into the deeper parts of the ear canal to be effective. Sometimes its best to aim just at the rim of the ear canal instead of directly at the mid-opening. gently massage the ear around the opening to help the drops work down. When ears are draining or running, some type of ear drop is usually required as part of the therapy.