Summarize:

The water should be warm but not hot. You could boil water in a kettle and pour out the required amount and let it stand until its temperature lowers. Alternatively, you could also run your tap until the water is quite warm (i.e., not tepid). Sea salt is best but table salt will work fine as well. This combination of warm water and salt is what gives the saline solution its name. "Saline" means containing or impregnated with salt. Place the cotton in your ear for three to five minutes. You can also use this solution without a cotton ball. Tilt your head and using an ear dropper, place one to two drops of the prewarmed saltwater into your ear. This will ensure that the solution does not drain out too much. Do make sure that you have tissues nearby to catch any drainage, though, especially if you used drops. Then, remove the cotton ball if used. This should remove any earwax over time. A warm saline solution will work to dissolve the earwax like an oil-based one. However, you may have to repeat the process a few more times than you would using oil because the warm saline does not dissolve the earwax as well as oils do. You can also follow up this "ear soak" with a rinse, using an ear wash bulb. Fill the bulb with saline solution. After the three to five minute soak (as described above), tilt your head again and gently place the end of the bulb near the opening of the ear. Do not place it in the ear canal. Gently squeeze out the saline around the opening of your ear. Repeat this rinse two to three times. Most of the time, two to three treatments (saline soak plus the water rinse) are sufficient to remove most of the earwax.
Warm cup of water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. Soak a piece of a cotton ball in the saline solution. Keep your head tilted for the three to five minutes. Repeat the procedure three to five times a day.