Laminate Flooring and Discoloration?

My house is four to five years old and has a laminate flooring in the living room and through the dining room where rugs have been placed in both locations. Now the flooring under those rugs have become drastically lighter. Is there any way to reverse this color change or reduce the contrast with the laminate floor? If your answer is to remove the rugs, then how long will it take for the discoloration to fix itself? No really in the family budget to relaminate the whole area, sadly. If there's really no way to fix it then oh well. Thanks to those who answered.

Public Comments

1. you will have to leave a rug on that spot. it won't get any better. the light will only get lighter with the rugs off
2. I doubt it will fix itself. If it is real wood, you could rub small amounts of stain into the wood and re-varnish it. If its that clip-together laminate then who knows. Laminate flooring should be banned, it's for galleries.
3. if u want to get rid of it, maybe relaminate it why do i bother? : )
4. no youre screwed.. replace the flooring or keep the rug on it. NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!!! NEXT!!!!
5. You are seeing a reaction with light. If you have real wood, it will darken with exposure to light. If you have the type of flooring with a photo of wood grain stamped on the flooring, it will lighten. Since your floor darkened with exposure to light and the part under the rug wasn't exposed to light and stayed the original color, you most likely have a wood floor. It can be LIGHTLY sanded and refinished to any color you want. Leaving the rug off won't make the colors blend. One area will always be aged more than the other due to light exposure. If you have the photo finished flooring, there isn't anything you can do.