De-shining Carrara marble tiles?

Maurizio,

I am in Canberra Australia and while browsing the web came across your name and email address. I am looking for the best way of de-shining an area of Carrara Marble tiles installed in a bathroom - I prefer the 'honed' finish. I am fairly handy and finances dictate that I have to do it myself - besides we don't seem to have many if any professional floor refinishers in Canberra. Please forgive the imposition but could you advise me what is the best way to do this.  Possible methods I have heard of are:

1.         Using muriatic acid or 'acid' wash - a tentative try shows that you can be left with lines where the acid etches unevenly and the acid does not seem to etch some darker veins in the marble.

2.         I have heard of a honing powder which may be designed to highly polish marble - I am not sure.

3.         The most convincing advice I have heard is to sand it with wet and dry paper (starting with 100 grit down to about 400) but I don't know how labourious this will be as I have about 18 sq mtrs of mostly wall tiles to do.

Any information you could give me would be greatly appreciated - also an open invitation to visit if you are ever in Australia.

Best regards,

Garry Walbrook.