I usually use a 3M grey abrasive pad loaded with paste wax to tone down a too glossy finish. For a less aggressive dulling affect just use a white 3M pad instead of the grey.
Spray it with sugar soap & wipe it down with a clean damp cloth or sponge. No abrasives required. Granules is the cheapest, but if you only need a bit, liquid in a spray bottle is the same, just more expensive. It's not designed specifically to knock the shine off, it's just a side effect.
Fine sandpaper, steel wool, or rubbing compounds are your tools of choice. I suggest you begin with ultra fine steel wool - #0000 grade. This grade of steel wool will slightly dull the surface while removing just a small bit of the finish - an important point on furniture as old as yours with some wear on it already.
You can reduce the gloss of an existing finish by gently wet sanding with 600 or 800 grit sandpaper.
Rub glossy paint on dry wall with hand sanitizer (Walmart Equate brand) on a paper towel. It will remove the gloss, super fast, super simple. No sanding, no matte clear coat. Just wipe.
If you are trying to keep some gloss, it's easiest to go over with a satin varnish once the gloss has dried. If you are trying to remove the gloss finish but keep the protection, apply a matte coat over the gloss once dried.
TSP is commonly used in cleaning products to dissolve and remove oily residues from surfaces such as walls, floors, and kitchen appliances. TSP can be effective for stripping glossy paint from surfaces.
Regardless of whether you use oil, or water-based satinwood, it still doesn't hurt to aid adhesion the best you can. Always sand your gloss before painting it, and dust it down properly. If the gloss is greasy, then you will also need to give it a clean down too.
If you want to change the sheen, you can re-coat with a different sheen over top. The second layer of top coat will replace the appearance of the first. Sand lightly with a used 220 sanding PAD to knock down the original finish before re-coating. It may take two or 3 coats to get complete coverage.
Don't love glossy paints? Change your finish with a few simple ingredients. Learn how to use corn starch to flatten paint with great results.
A number of different methods can be employed to reduce the luster to a semi-gloss or matte finish. Some of these techniques involve the incorporation of mineral fillers or wax additives to impart the desired appearance, while others utilize resin chemistry to create a microscopic texture on the coating's surface.
Use 91 percent rubbing alcohol, a degreaser/deglosser that evaporates and won't leave a residue behind.
TSP is still sold and used as a cleaning agent, but since the late 1960s, its use has diminished in the United States and many other parts of the world because, like many phosphate-based cleaners, it is known to cause extensive eutrophication of lakes and rivers once it enters a water system.
Liquid sandpaper is also referred to as deglosser and wet sanding. The advantage of using liquid sandpaper instead of regular sandpaper is that it's easier to apply and safer to use. You just rub liquid sandpaper over the object you wish to paint, wait a set amount of time and wipe off.
First, yes,you can use a flat clear like Dullcoat. I find one coat generally sufficient. Second, applying the gloss color very dry, with a couple of very thin coats should give at least a semi-matt. Third, sanding gloss paint with about 2000 grit will take gloss away without sanding marks.
If it's trade gloss then it's absolutely fine to dilute it Slightly with White spirit or a product called paint Conditioner which loosens the paint without thinning it. If it's non drip gloss then it's probably best to use it as it is.
I usually use a 3M grey abrasive pad loaded with paste wax to tone down a too glossy finish. For a less aggressive dulling affect just use a white 3M pad instead of the grey.
Using liquid sandpaper/deglosser or sandpaper helps dull any old paint, gloss, or varnish; preps the area for a new coat of paint or varnish; and helps bond the new finish to prevent it from chipping off easily.
Liquid sandpaper, a.k.a. deglosser, is a chemical that can be used to rough up existing paint on walls and other surfaces by removing the gloss, making it possible to paint over what's left on the wall after use. This is good for hard to reach places or an object that you may feel would be awkward to sand.