Eating out is great. To leave the cooking and the dishes to someone else - if only for one night - and just sit back and relax is surely the ultimate indulgence. Most of us who eat out have our favourite haunts where we feel comfortable, the food is good, the service is good and the place is clean. To me, this is heaven, knowing in advance that I and my friends will enjoy the experience and will not wake up the next morning with tummy ache or sickness.

Occasionally, of course, we need to try something new. Perhaps our favourite restaurant has changed ownership and has lost some of its appeal, or perhaps it's time for a change for change's sake. And, of course, if I am on vacation in a far away land, I may have no choice in the matter. Trying a new restaurant can be great fun - but can also be a bit of a challenge.

We all know what attributes to look for, as I said above, I want to feel comfortable in a good atmosphere, enjoy good food, good service and, surely most importantly, be sure the place is hygenic. And this last point surely be the first point to look out for.

When my wife and I are checking out a new restaurant the first thing she will do is visit the ladies room. A great deal of information about the cleanliness of the establishment can be gathered just from visiting this place. This is probably the hardest area to keep clean and is open to public inspection (or open to 50% of the public, depending on which sex you are). If the toilets are filthy, are the kitchens and store rooms also in a similar state?

While my wife is busy with her surveillance, I will go on a hunt for fly killers. As some of you may know, I am a great fan of fly killers, such as those at Arkay Hygiene. If I can get a peek at the kitchens, I will fully expect to see a good brand of fly killer machine, fully operational in the correct position, ready to keep flies away from food. Flies have the nastiest habits of any creature. They will happily carry thousands of germs and deposit them on our food. The best brand in the UK and around the globe is the Insect-o-Cutor. Just like vacuum cleaners can often be called "Hoovers", most fly killer machines are known generically as Insect-o-Cutors, even though this is, in fact, a brand name, and the most respected brand name in its field. The important thing in my opinion is that restaurants install a real Insect-o-Cutor, and not just any brand.

Large restaurants will have a range of fly killer machines. Smaller establishments will often rely on one or more of the Focus F1 Fly Killer. This is the workhorse of small UK food establishments. A low cost but highly effective machine that will do a fantastic job. The Focus F1 Fly Killers are becoming so popular that nowadays people are putting them in their kitchens at home.

So, here we are, I have checked out the fly killers and my wife has been on her washroom sortie. What is the verdict? Well, if we conclude that the place is clean, we know that the rest is down to luck and part of the adventure. The food may be great or may be awful. Who knows what service we will get? Whatever the outcome, by making sure the place is clean, we know that at least we will not be poisoned!

Vernon Stent has recently visited countless bars and restaurants to research this article. It was hard work! See the Focus F1 fly Killer here and other fly killers here.